Life's Lessons
by Gelles
Summary: Several hundred years of ice have finally given way to the beauty of Crystal Tokyo. But Beauty is fleeting, and one woman soon discovers just how corrupt a Senshi can be. [COMPLETE]
1.

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
Chapter 1 -  
  
  
"The human soul is composed of three parts: the heart crystal which  
contains our deepest desires, the dream mirror which holds our  
greatest wish, and the star seed which makes all things in this life  
possible. Should either of these artifacts be removed, the victim  
will lose touch with himself and, invariably, die."  
  
Terri sighed. She had heard this lecture a million times in the  
past four years, and it had yet to become interesting. With the ease  
of long practice, she schooled her expression into something  
reminiscent of attentivness and readied herself for the long, dull  
wait.  
  
"Now, of these three it is most dangerous to tamper with one's  
star seed, since the body weakens and dies very quickly. Centuries  
ago, when the Kingdom's scientists were first studying the concept of  
the Three, they would use condemned criminals as their test subjects,  
saying that the removal of the criminals artifacts was more humane  
than the current century's method of frying the felons alive in a  
chair. Naturally, none of these early test subjects survived."  
  
Terri caught Yoko staring at her. Yoko made a face and a dramatic  
show of staving off sleep. In return, Terri rolled her eyes and  
looked away. Some people could be so immature.  
  
Someone in the back of the classroom raised a hand. "What about  
the Senshi? Did they die when their star seeds were removed?"  
  
'Pluto, save us,' Terri thought, bracing herself for the  
inevitable verbal assult. 'Here it comes.'  
  
"The Senshi?!" their teacher said, outraged. "You dare rank the  
leaders and protectors of our Kingdom at the same level as we mere  
mortals! The Senshi are immortal, and minor things like star seeds,  
nay, artifacts in general, are of little concern to them. To say  
otherwise is heresy! For such words you shall have the pleasure of  
cleaning the entire auditorium with your bare hands, and while you do  
this task you shall reflect upon the awesome power of the Senshi.  
Now, leave!"  
  
Terri and the others watched as the chastened student made his  
silent way out of the lecture hall. She glanced at Yoko, and saw that  
her fellow student looked more than a little stunned and, perhaps,  
scared as well.  
  
"Well," the teacher said, catching everyone's attetion, "let's  
continue, shall we? Attend."  
Terri tuned him out.  
  
  
  
'Finally, some time to myself.' Terri stood on the roof of the  
women's dormitory and gazed southward, towards the crystal towers  
that lay at the heart of Crystal Tokyo. It was cold here, almost two  
degrees, and Terri was glad for her long coat. The University was  
situated at the outskirts of the city, and beyond the city limits the  
perpetual winter had yet to break. Farther into the city was, and  
always remained, late spring.  
  
Spring. Terri barely remembered what it was like to have a true  
spring, and not Crystal Tokyo's magically controlled climate. True,  
she had been eighteen when, along with the almost the rest of the  
world, she had been put into stasis to wait out the neverending  
winter, but her life before her millenia-long sleep seemed like a  
fading dream. But she still remembered some things.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and clasped both hands  
to her chest, directly over her heart. A moment's pause, and she drew  
her hands away, feeling the tingle in her hands and body that meant  
her little trick had worked.  
  
Steeling herself, she opened her eyes and gazed the small,  
glowing crystal that floated and twirled above her cupped hands.  
  
'My star seed.'  
  
It didn't look like much, just two six-sided crystal pyramids  
attached at their bases, with a yellow sphere of light floating  
inside of it. However, she had studied plenty of star seeds along  
with her fellow classmates to know that hers, and hers alone, was  
special. Her's was the only star seed that was the light grey of a  
winter's sky.  
  
"You shouldn't be playing with that out here. It's too dangerous."  
  
Terri started and spun around, automatically closing her hands  
around the precious star seed. "Who's there?"  
  
The woman stood near the door that led back down into dormitory,  
leaning casually against the frame, seemingly undisturbed by the  
fridid air despite the fact she was only wearing a short-sleeved  
shirt, a light jacket, and a pair of jean shorts. She smiled warmly  
and fixed her pale blue eyes on Terri's light grey ones. "You're  
pretty bold, taking your star seed out right in sight of the  
Wildlands. You've grown stronger since I've seen you last."  
  
She spoke a strange dialect of Neo-Japanese, so it took Terri a  
moment to understand her. "Seen me... last? I'm sorry, but you must  
be mistaken. You and I have never met."  
  
She blinked and came closer to Terri, brushing a strand of blonde  
hair out of her eyes so she could study the tall student carefully.  
"Funny... you look exactly the same as..." She peered up  
into Terri's face. "Yeah, you're definitly her... Oh! This must be  
that memory corosion thingy that Ami-chan was telling me about. Hmph.  
I didn't know it could do this kinda damage so fast. I figured you'd  
have to be out longer than three hundred years before you lost any  
major memories."  
  
Terri bristled, "I was 'out' for one thousand and forty-five  
years. I think I'm entitled to losing a few memories."  
  
"Bah," said the woman, dismissing Terri's words with a wave of  
one hand, "we put you under three hundred years ago and you know it.  
Oh, wait. You don't. Gomen." She laughed sheepishly. Just as quickly,  
she grabbed Terri's hands. "Lemme see that star seed."  
  
Terri yanked her hands away and staggered backwards a few steps.  
"Leave me alone!"  
  
The woman straightened up, but made no move to pursue Terri. "Why  
don't you want to remember?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're special, Terri-chan. Like the Senshi, you command a magic  
that is different than what the general populace uses."  
  
Surprised by this statement, Terri glanced around, but she and  
her unnamed companion were the only two on the roof. Nevertheless,  
she dropped her voice. "Comparing me to the Senshi is heresy! Do you  
want us to be punished, or even killed?"  
  
In response the woman once again stepped forward and gently  
took Terri's hands. She closed her eyes and Terri gasped as a  
strange warmth spread throughout her body. The world spun around her,  
her awareness expanding to the point that she was concious of every  
strand of hair on her head, each caress of the wind on her exposed  
skin, of the very movement of her blood throughout her body. She felt  
it all from a distance, but she felt no fear. 'This feeling... it's  
so familiar...' Even her thoughts seemed to come from a distance.  
  
The woman opened her eyes. "You feel it don't you? Your soul  
remembers, even if you don't."  
  
"Who are you?" Terri whispered.  
  
"Who are *you*?" the woman said just as softly.  
  
Terri looked down at their clasped hands. "I... I'm not sure  
anymore."  
  
The woman released Terri, stepping back as she did so. The  
strange sensations vanished as soon as she broke contact, leaving  
Terri feeling smaller than she had been just a few seconds ago. Terri  
opened her hands and wasn't surprised to see that her star seed had  
vanished.  
  
"Terri-chan, I, *we,* need your help."  
  
Terri's head jerked up. "My help?"  
  
"You're the only one who's able to act. The rest of us are bound  
by the oaths we made to Sel... to *her.*" She shook her head and  
sighed in frustration. "I have to go soon. I'd tell you more, but  
I've already wasted way to much time just trying to convince you that  
you don't remember any of this in the first place."  
"Go? But, wait, I don't understand any of this!"  
  
"And you won't. Not while you're still here, at least.  
  
"Now that I've awakened your soul, your powers will begin to  
manifest themselves. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but with  
your memory lapse, you probably don't even know what you're capable  
of. You'll need a teacher to guide you. Unfortunetly, Rei-chan's  
unavailable, so that leaves me." She pointed past Terri, towards the  
palace. "I'll be waiting for you there."  
  
Terri followed the woman's hand and gasped. "There? Now I know  
you're crazy. Nobody but the Priests and Priestesses are allowed  
there!"  
  
She stared hard at Terri. "Then consider this your first lesson,  
Terri-chan. In this world, the world that humanity wished for and was  
granted, nothing is as it seems. You will need to make the  
distinction between truth and falsehood, reality and fiction, with  
incredible accuarcy if you are to survive for very long. And survive  
you must, because the fate of reality itself weighs on your  
shoulders.  
  
"I'll see you at the palace."  
  
"Wait!" A blinding flash, and Terri was suddenly alone. Something  
wet landed on her, and she looked up in surprise as snow spiraled  
down onto the campus, driven by a bitter northren wind.  
  
  
  
Yoko nearly tackled her when she got back to her room. "Where have  
you been, Terri? The whole campus is in an uproar." She grabbed  
Terri's arm and dragged her towards the ground floor. "I've been  
looking all over the entire place, and I find you mooning in your  
room." She clucked her tounge in displeasure. "I've probably lost my  
seat searching for you."  
  
Terri realized that they were headed cross-campus, towards the  
auditorium. They weren't the only ones, either. A veritable flood of  
students crowded near the entrance, all waiting to be let inside.  
"Wait, Yoko. What are you talking about? What's going on?"  
  
"Shit, there's no way we're getting in through there," Yoko  
growled, ignoring Terri. "Oh well, we'll just have to take my short  
cut." They detoured the crowd and headed to a small, locked side  
entrance.  
  
"Yoko! For Pluto's sake, tell me what's going on!"  
  
Yoko released Terri's hand and fiddled with the door. "There's a  
Senshi on campus." There was a soft click, and Yoko sighed in  
satisfaction as the door swung inwards without a squeak. "Ha! And  
they said I was nothing more than a powerless runt. That'll show  
them." She glanced over her shoulder at a stunned Terri. "Coming?"  
She walked through the doorway without waiting for an answer, and  
Terri had no choice but to follow along. The door closed silently  
behind them, locking them in darkness.  
  
But not for long, as Yoko produced a small object in her hand  
that turned out to be her star seed. She grinned at Terri, "Who needs  
flashlights?"  
  
"You shouldn't be doing that," Terri replied absently. She was  
still trying to believe that a Senshi -an actual Senshi!- was on the  
campus. Yoko flashed her another smile and set off towards the  
interior of the auditorium. Terri trailed behind.  
  
"You should've seen it, Terri. I swear that every Priest and  
Priestess in Crystal Tokyo showed up with Her and they had such  
beautiful cloth--"  
  
"Which one is it?"  
  
Yoko glared at Terri for the interupption. "I don't know."  
  
"You don't *know!*"  
  
"Well, unlike *some* people I could name, I don't go off mooning  
whenever I hear news of a Senshi coming to campus."  
  
The two women glared at each other briefly, then Yoko continued  
on. "I don't know which one it is, but the Priests were wearing green  
and the Priestesses were wearing pink."  
  
"Jupiter," Terri breathed, astounded. "But why would She be here?  
Why not Mercury or Neptune? I mean, they're the patron Senshi of  
Education and the Arts."  
  
"Do I look like a Priestess? Of course I don't. Maybe She needs  
soldiers in the Wasteland. I've heard attacks have gotten worse,  
lately. Now, hush. We're getting close."  
  
Terri recognized that they were creeping thorugh the backstage  
wings. Voices drifted towards them, and Yoko's light vanished as she  
returned her star seed to it's proper place. They reached the edge of  
one of the wings and, with Terri standing over a crouched Yoko,  
peered their heads out.  
  
Two people stood at center stage, having an animated discussion.  
Terri immediatly recognized the University's Chairman. And the other  
person, the woman, was obviously the Senshi. "Look at how tall She  
is. She's taller than me!" Terri murmured. "It's got to be Jupiter."  
  
"Quiet!" Yoko hissed, but Terri could see that Yoko was also  
amazed at the Senshi's height.  
  
Terri shifted, bracing a hand on Yoko's back, and studied the  
Senshi's outfit. White body suit and gloves, deep green skirt to  
match the bands on the gloves, and two pink bows, one on her chest  
the other at the base of her spine.  
  
Terri frowned slightly. Something was strange about the Senshi's  
clothing, but she couldn't figure out what it was.  
  
The thought nagged at her, until swept away by the Senshi's  
words. "Your concern for Terri Ganabile is justified, Chairman. As  
soon as my job here is complete, I shall investigate this person."  
  
Terri inhaled sharply. Yoko covered Terri's hand with one of her  
own and squeezed it lightly. Jupiter looked towards the wings,  
directly at Terri.  
  
The Chairman looked around as well and wringed his hands  
nervously, something Terri had never seen him do. "Thank you, Lady."  
He hesitated, then said slowly, "Will You send her to the Wasteland?"  
Jupiter looked at him and he stammered on, "Th-that is the natural  
punishment for one such as her, r-right? Exile?"  
  
For the briefest of instants, a green aura flared around the tall  
Senshi. Terri's vision swam, and she caught herself on Yoko's  
shoulders before she fell. Yoko glanced up at her, worried.  
  
Jupiter glanced again towards the wings and said, "That is not  
your concern, Chairman. Nor is it my decision. The choice is, and  
always has been, our Excellancy Queen Serenity's."  
  
The man paled and dropped to one knee, praying feverishly under  
his breath. "Praise be to Serenity," he finally said and stood back  
up again.  
  
One of Jupiter's Priests climbed onto the stage and spoke to the  
Senshi quietly. She nodded, "Let them in." To the Chairman, "Enough  
of this. I have some things to say to your student body. We shall  
finish this discussion later."  
  
The chairman knew a dismissal when he heard one. He left rapidly,  
heading for the wings on the other side of the stage.  
  
Terri straightened and Yoko stood. They shared a silent look and,  
as one, turned to walk back to the side exit.  
  
Jupiter stood behind them, waiting.  
  
Terri yelped and leaped backwards, into Yoko. They both fell to  
the floor in a heap.  
  
"Spying on a Senshi is an offense punishable by death," Jupiter  
said coldly.  
  
Terri joined Yoko in kneeling, with their heads at the Senshi's  
feet. "W-we d-didn't mean t-to, m-m-my Lady," Yoko stammered.  
  
"SILENCE!"  
  
Terri flinched. Yoko whimpered.  
  
Movement. "Look at me," the Senshi said in a much gentler, but no  
less colder, tone. Terri glanced quickly at Yoko, who shrugged  
slightly. They both sat up.  
  
Terri found herself eye-to-eye with the Senshi of lightining.  
Jupiter crouched just in front of her, and Her gaze struck Terri like  
a slap. She looked away quickly.  
  
"Who are you?" Jupiter said softly. "You look like just like...  
But that would be impossible. She's dead." Terri said nothing and, a  
moment later, she felt that deadly gaze slide off of her. She risked  
a look, and saw that the Senshi had stood and moved away.  
  
Jupiter called one of Her Priests to Her and spoke quietly to  
him. He nodded, slipped the hood of his green robe over his head, and  
moved off into the darkness. Jupiter glared at the women, "Both of  
you will follow Kanz. You will wait for me."  
  
Yoko hurridly climbed to her feet, all but dragging Terri after  
her. The Senshi watched them go, her face an expressionless mask.  
  
  
  
Yoko paced the width of the Chairman's main office. Terri watched her  
from one of the seats. Five steps to the window. Turn. Five steps to  
the wall. Turn. Back to the window. Turn. Back to the wall.  
  
"SHIT!" Yoko punched the wall with her fist, and Terri winced at  
the sound.  
  
It was the first word either of them had spoken since Kanz had  
left them here, locking the door behind him. That had been almost an  
hour ago.  
  
Yoko resumed her pacing. "What are we going to do, Terri?"  
  
"I don't know, Yoko-chan."  
  
Yoko paused. "What the Hells did you call me?!"  
  
Terri winced. "Nothing. Ignore it."  
  
Yoko grunted. Five steps to the window. Turn. "What did you do  
that attracted a Senshi's attention?"  
  
"If I had known, I wouldn't have done it."  
  
Five steps to the wall. "What kind of answer is that?" Yoko said  
angrily.  
  
"It's the only answer I've got!" Terri retorted.  
  
They glared at each other. Terri sighed and slumped in her chair.  
"This can't be happening."  
  
"Believe me. It's happening."  
  
Terri shot to her feet as Jupiter, accompanied by Kanz, stepped  
through the doorway. The Priest closed it behind them and set himself  
in front of it. Yoko immediatly threw herself onto the ground. Terri  
started to emulate her friend, but then she paused, and straightened,  
staring the Senshi in the eye as She walked behind the Chairman's  
desk and sat down.  
  
Surprisingly, Jupiter smiled at this small defiance. "You have  
backbone. I admire that."  
  
Realizing that she wasn't going to be struck down where she  
stood, Terri nudged Yoko and helped her to her feet.  
  
Jupiter studied them both for a long, uncomfortable moment.  
Leaning Her elbows on the desk, She pressed Her fingertips together  
in front of Her face and stared hard at Yoko.  
  
Again, the green aura came into being, and Yoko gasped, her  
eyes dialiting as her entire body locked up.  
  
Jupiter made a sound partway between amusement and anger.  
"Interesting. You're a heretic."  
  
Terri barely had more than an instant to register that statement  
before Jupiter looked at her. Her entire body tense. Her vision  
doubled, then tripled. Something pounded inside of her head,  
searching through and discarding memories and emotions, destroying  
barriers like they were paper. One barrier withstood the onslaught,  
and when Jupiter's power came in contact with it, golden light  
flared, filling every part of Terri's being with warmth.  
  
"My Lady!" Someone shouted distantly, probably Kanz.  
  
"Terri!" Yoko cried. Her voice echoed strangly.  
  
"That was certainly... unexpected." Jupiter's voice came from far  
away.  
  
"My Lady, what happened?"  
  
"I attempted to discover this one's level of magic, but someone  
is protecting her, preventing me from accessing any part of her mind  
that even knows the meaning of the word 'magic.'" She paused, then  
said, "The signature is reminiscent of Venus's, but Venus wouldn't  
bother with one as physically weak as this one so obviously is."  
  
Terri's hands tingled. She tried to move them, but the most she  
accomplished was a slight twitching of her fingers. Black spots  
swirled through the golden light.  
  
"Hm... First the Chairman of the University claims that one of  
his students has been practicing deadly magic. Then I find this  
student in the company of a heretic. And now, when I search for the  
truth, it is hidden from me.  
  
"I don't believe in coincedence."  
  
The black spots spread and slowly Terri's vision cleared. She  
found herself lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Yoko  
hovered over her, anxious. Terri blinked, and the effort took almost  
all the strength she had. She decided to keep her eyes closed for a  
few minutes more.  
  
"What will you do, my Lady?"  
  
"Why, take them with me, of course. True, Serenity only wanted a  
count of able-bodied people living at the University, but that  
doesn't mean I have to conduct the count personally. I have much more  
important matters to deal with at the Palace, and I might as well  
drop these two off with Mercury when I take care of it."  
  
I'll see you at the Palace.  
  
Terri didn't believe in coincedence, either.  
  
  



	2. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
Chapter 2 -  
  
Yoko was understandably upset about their forced removal from the  
University. She wailed, ranted, and threatened their captors, but the  
Priestesses set to guard them ignored her and Terri copied their  
example from her bed.  
  
True to Her word, Jupiter had taken Her two charges to the  
Crystal Palace and had left them there, for what purpose Terri didn't  
know. Neither had been awake for the journey, thanks to a drugged  
drink given to them by the Priests.  
  
Terri had seen the Palace plenty of times since her awakening  
from stasis, but she, like most of the population, had never set foot  
inside the palace grounds, let alone the palace itself. She expected  
the interior to match the exterior; walls made of near-translucent  
crystal of all manner of colors, rooms of startling size and  
unmatched beauty, all compounded by the complex, multi-hued lighting  
created by hundreds of magicians that had been hired strictly for  
that purpose.  
  
However, when she woke up, it was to bare concrete walls, a  
small, spartan room consisting entirely of a small open pit, and two  
narrow beds bolted to a wall, and two Priestesses guarding the  
single, barred door. Terri figured that they were either in a room  
that had been, judging the from dank smell, built beneath the castle  
or that they weren't in the castle at all.  
  
Neither idea was very appealing.  
  
Bored, Terri spent the time watching the two Priestess. They  
never spoke, not to the captives, nor amongst themselves. Every so  
often, Terri judged it to be every hour, two more Priestesses showed  
up and swapped places with the two on duty.  
  
They were going on their fourth hour when Terri said, "Well,  
that's surprising."  
  
Yoko, who had been in the process of pleading with the two new  
Priestesses, looked at her over her shoulder. "What?"  
  
Terri gestured to the Priestesses, "They're repeating."  
  
Yoko stared at her blankly.  
  
Terri sighed and sat up, "Four hours have past. That means we've  
seen eight guards. There are eight Senshi, yet I've only seen six of  
them represented: Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Neptune, and  
Saturn. I haven't seen the dark blue and gold of Venus's followers,  
or the crimson and black of Pluto's."  
  
"And this means what?"  
  
Nothing is as it seems.  
  
"It means... well I don't know what it means. But it has to mean  
something, ne?"  
  
Yoko looked at the Priestesses. After a moment, she sighed and  
walked over to the beds, sitting near Terri's feet. "What's going to  
happen to us, Terri?"  
  
"I don't know, Yoko. But I do know it won't be good."  
  
"'Won't be good?' Do you think they're going to kill us?"  
  
Terri shrugged. "Mabye."  
  
Yoko looked at her. Fear was clear in her voice. "How can you be  
so bloody *calm* about all this?"  
  
Terri looked down at Yoko, then back at the two Priestesses.  
Violet and light blue. Mars and Mercury. Terri smiled slightly. "She  
won't leave me down here," she said softly.  
  
"Who won't?"  
  
Terri's answer was forestalled when a man appeared at their door.  
He was dressed in a white robe with blue edging, and that marked him  
as both a follower of Mercury and a Judge for the High Court. He  
conferred quickly with the two Priestesses, then turned towards the  
captives, who had stood at his appearance.  
  
"You are summoned to stand trial in the High Court of Serenity,  
under the charges of treason and being a heretic." His attention was  
fixed on Yoko.  
  
Yoko bleated in fear and tried to back up. She tripped on the bed  
instead and fell hard. Terri moved, putting herself between Yoko and  
the door. "What are you talking about? Yoko isn't a heretic, and  
she's certainly not a traitor."  
  
"Lady Jupiter has seen into the woman's soul and has proclaimed  
her a heretic. Do you dare to contradict Her word?"  
  
Terri gritted her teeth. Jupiter was supposed to be Truth  
personified. If Terri claimed She lied, she'd be proclaimed as  
heretical as they said Yoko was.  
  
She knelt beside Yoko and grabbed Yoko's hands. "Tell me they're  
lying, Yoko."  
  
Pale, Yoko stared at the man. Her hands were like ice.  
  
"Yoko!"  
  
Slowly, Yoko turned a haunted gaze on Terri. "I have this dream,"  
she said, so softly that Terri could barely hear her. "Or maybe it's  
a memory. I don't know. But, in it, there were two of the Senshi...  
and Galaxia... Galaxia had their star seeds and told them to fight  
the other Senshi... But they turned on Galaxia and she killed them!"  
  
Terri dropped Yoko's hands and backed away quickly. "The Senshi  
don't die," she hissed. "The Senshi don't fight amongst themselves.  
And They most certainly did *not* lose to someone as weak and  
pathetic as Galaxia!"  
  
Yoko looked up at Terri, then she sighed and stood. "I know what  
I know. The question is do you know what you know?"  
  
"Enough," the Judge said. He gestured and Yoko collapsed where  
she stood, unconcious. He looked at Terri, blue eyes as cold as ice.  
"Your devotion to the Senshi does you justice. I hope that whatever  
Lady Mercury wants you for is not fatal." He smiled, a baring of  
white teeth, and he and Yoko vanished.  
  
  
Now it was Terri's turn to pace. One of the Priestesses, in the  
yellow of Uranus, brought in a plate of bread and placed it in a  
niche in the wall. Terri ignored it.  
  
Time passed. How much, she didn't know. She paced endlessly,  
flopping on the bed when she grew tired, only to get back up and  
continue pacing.  
  
Terri had known Yoko since they had both woken up from stasis.  
They weren't exactly close friends, the University discouraged such  
things, but at least they had been friends. And during that time,  
Yoko had never once had a heretical thought in her head.  
  
Yoko had never acted like a heretic, either. There had been no  
lunatic rants on street corners, no prophecies of doom or paranoid  
conspiracies, no insane plots to bring down the goverment. In fact,  
Yoko had acted, in every way, just like a normal student.  
  
That bothered Terri. Deeply.  
  
Why would Yoko be convicted of heresy? More important, why would  
she actually, willingly *confess* to having heretical dreams? Not a  
single one of the documented cases of convicted heretics involved an  
actual, freely given confession (and Terri knew, since the University  
made students read every single one of them). And of the heretics  
Terri had seen, they had all denied being heretics, right up to the  
point where Lady Jupiter was required to get the truth out of them.  
  
Terri stopped as a Priest approached her cell and spoke quietly  
to the Priestesses. After a minute or so, he turned and walked off.  
Terri nabbed the bread and chewed as she continued walking.  
  
Yoko had said that her dream could have been a memory. That was  
impossible because, since the creation of Crystal Tokyo, there had  
been no major threats that required all the Senshi to be together.  
Most of the time, the Senshi took care of the little domestic matters  
that popped up, and brought in heathen tribes from the Wasteland to  
be converted back into normal, useful people.  
  
But Yoko had mentioned Galaxia, the Senshi's final, greatest  
enemy. Terri snorted, 'If one could actually consider Galaxia a  
threat.' Galaxia had been a pathetic, whining loser. Everyone knew  
that. She was so weak that even Yoko, who had such small amounts of  
magic as to be considered powerless, could've defeated her with both  
hands tied behind her back.  
  
So, no, Yoko's dream was simply that: a dream. Once the High  
Court realized that, they'd let Yoko go with a firm reminder to stop  
watching so many horror movies before going to bed. Terri laughed,  
relieved.  
  
"Rationalization is one of mankind's greatest enemies, ya know."  
  
Terri whirled and saw her leaning against the far wall. "You!"  
  
"Me." She arched an eyebrow at the half eaten loaf of bread. "Why  
is it that whenever I show up, you're always holding something?"  
  
Terri's mind came to a complete halt at the pointless question.  
Shaking her head, she threw the bread to the floor. "I don't know how  
you got in here, but you've got to get out. The Priestesses-"  
  
The woman pointed to the door, a not quite smug smile on her  
face. Terri looked.  
  
The Priestesses were gone.  
  
Terri looked slowly at the woman, "How?"  
  
The woman lifted a finger and pointed at Terri. "Bang." She  
giggled. Just as swiftly, she became utterly serious. "We've got to  
get you out of here. Put this on." From behind her back she produced  
a bundle of cloth and flung it at Terri.  
  
Unfurling it revealed a robe, just large enough for her, made out  
of a dark blue cloth. Terri almost dropped it in her surprise. "This  
is a robe for the Priestesses of Venus!"  
  
"You've got a good eye," her companion said. She, too, was  
donning a robe, but of a color and style Terri had never seen before,  
Too light to be the blood-red of Pluto's female followers, and far  
too dark to be the pink of Jupiter's. The only color that came to  
mind was auburn. All along the hem of the robe and its sleeves was  
grey thread.  
  
She caught Terri looking at her. "Don't recognize it, ne?" She  
smiled. "That's because there is no Senshi, nor a organization, for  
this one."  
  
"Then why wear it? If we don't blend in with the rest of the  
Priestesses, won't they catch us?"  
  
"Oh, I'll blend in all right. Don't you worry about that. Now,  
get dressed."  
  
Terri slipped the robe on over the University's dull grey  
uniform, and fussed with her long, silver hair before giving up in  
disgust. Seeing this, the woman pulled out the red ribbon that was  
holding up her own hair, and used it to bind Terri's in a rough  
ponytail. She tugged Terri's hood up. "Try to keep your face hidden.  
We don't need people recognizing you."  
  
Pulling her own hood up, she pulled on the cell door, and it  
swung inwards without a squeak.  
  
"Wait," Terri said. The woman turned, impatient. "What's your  
name?"  
  
"My name? You wanna sit here and ask for my name? Geez, and you  
said I was crazy."  
  
"Please?"  
  
She sighed, "Fine. You can call me Minako."  
  
  
Terri expected them to be caught at any moment, but all the Priests  
and Priestesses they passed never spared her more than a moment's  
glance. Minako, on the other hand, they did spare more than a  
moment's glance. And, after that glance, they usually scurried off in  
an extreme hurry. One Priestess, in the burgandy of Saturn, actually  
went so far as to kneel on the ground, until they had walked out of  
sight.  
  
Terri watched all this in shock, and whispered, "What's going on?  
Why are they so scared of you?"  
  
Minako glanced back at her, and smiled slightly. "Lesson number  
two: Those who respect Death know not to provoke It needlessly. It is  
a double-edged sword, and It always hurts the user more than the  
used." She turned back around, but not before Terri heard her mutter,  
"Whether the user knows it or not."  
  
Puzzled by this remark, Terri slipped into silence.  
  
Minako chose paths they carried them upwards, either via ramps,  
stairways, or strange elevators that consisted of clear glass tubes  
that glowed with a greenish light. Eventually the austere concrete  
gave way to the clear, complex crystal walls that Terri remembered  
from her moments on top of the dorm's roof.  
  
Trying to gape while keeping her hood up and acting the meek  
Priestess was a bit difficult, but by the time they started passing  
massive doors, she considered herself an expert at it. Many of the  
doors were closed, but a few opened onto high-ceilinged hallways, a  
couple of impressive chapels (thankfully empty), and a large, domed  
room that had a large crowd of people in it.  
  
Terri had only glanced into the depths and continued walking.  
Suddenly, she stopped and backed up, studying the people more  
carefully. And she gasped.  
  
Not all of the people within were native to the Palace. She  
recognized the uniforms of a few Enforcers, several of her  
upperclassmen from the University, and quite a number of the media.  
Terri ignored them as she stumbled past the threshold, her eyes  
locked on the distant figure of Yoko.  
  
She stood alone on a dias, head bowed, arms hanging slack at her  
sides, facing the audience. Behind her, ranged in a loose  
semi-circle, stood the eight Judges of the High Court, each of their  
robes edged with the color of the Senshi they followed. And behind  
*them*, sitting on high-backed chairs placed behind a table on a  
platform even higher than the dais that Yoko stood on, sat three of  
the Senshi.  
  
Mercury. Seated at the far right, She typed away a laptop,  
apparently not paying attention the scene before Her, despite the  
fact that the final ruling would be made by Her.  
  
Jupiter. Sitting in the middle, She alternated between twirling a  
pen between Her fingers and tapping it on the table, all the while  
gazing (dreamily?!) at one of the closer reporters.  
  
Venus. She sat at the far left, and Her ice-blue eyes roamed  
about the room, studying everything and everyone with a bored  
detatchment.  
  
One of the Judges was speaking. Terri moved closer, to try and  
hear him better. A hand grabbed her arm, jerking her to a halt.  
  
"Are you insane? Or just plain stupid?" Minako's voice hissed in  
her ear.  
  
Terri glared at her. "We've got to save Yoko!"  
  
Minako's eyes darted towards the Senshi, then back to Terri.  
"No."  
  
"What?" Several people turned at her cry and looked away  
immediatly upon seeing Minako's robe. Thankfully, none of the Senshi  
seemed to notice the disturbance.  
  
Minako, however, clamped a hand over Terri's mouth. "Do you want  
to be caught?" She glanced around quickly, and swore when she saw  
that those nearest them had begun to edge away. "There are three  
Senshi up there. I don't know who you think I am, but I'm not going  
to get into a fight with them just to save your friend." Her eyes  
narrowed. "Besides, why should you care? She's a heretic."  
  
Terri jerked away. "It was only a dream. They can't convict her  
just because of a stupid dream!"  
  
"Funny. You didn't say that when she confessed."  
  
Terri flinched. She finally manged to say, "But, if they do  
convict her, they'll kill her. That's what they do to heretics."  
  
"You're forgetting your first lesson, Terri-chan."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"The person that has been shown mercy is the person whose loyalty  
is bound to be unshakable." Minako's face was grim.  
  
Terri's eyes widened with understanding. "They're going to-?" She  
broke off as Minako paled suddenly, and a familar numbness swept over  
Terri. She turned, the simple motion seeming to take forever, and  
found herself staring directly into the enraged eyes of Jupiter.  
  
The Senshi of Truth stood, and Her voice thundered across the  
room. "YOU!"  
  
Terri suddenly found herself the attention of every person in the  
room, save Yoko. Startled by Her cry, Venus and Mercury broke off  
Their own musings to look at Terri. Terri staggered and fell to her  
knees underneath the sheer weight of the three combined stares.  
  
"Time for us to go!" Minako said, her voice echoing in the  
utterly silent room. She grabbed Terri's arm, and, with surprising  
strength, hauled Terri to her feet.  
  
"STOP THEM!" The force of Jupiter's voice caused long, jagged  
cracks in the ceiling and walls.  
  
Minako dragged Terri out of the room and down the corridor. Terri  
stumbled, but, free from the Senshi's eyes, she quickly managed to  
regain her footing. Behind them surged the spectators, an angry mob  
intent on doing the Senshi's bidding.  
  
Minako ducked into the first elevator they came to, and  
immediatly started to strip off her robe. Terri followed her example  
and tossed it to the side. Then she sat down heavily, panting.  
  
"Dammit," Minako growled. "Of all the Senshi I had to get chased  
by, I had to be chased by Her." She looked up the shaft, then down at  
Terri. "We'll have to split up."  
  
Terri looked up at her, shocked.  
  
Minako crouched. "Listen, Jupiter's got that mob out there  
looking for you. And I bet that those three aren't gonna sit back and  
let those people do all the searching. I'm gonna slow down the Senshi  
and give you time to escape. When this elevator reaches the top,  
taking every left hand turn you come to, and count the doors as you  
go. Open the seventeenth door and wait in the room."  
  
"Is that where you'll meet me? What if I get lost"  
  
Minako grinned. "You won't be waiting for me. But you'll know  
what you're waiting for, trust me. As for getting lost: Don't." She  
stood, took a step back, and vanished in a flash of golden light.  
  
Terri swallowed and stood shakily. After a moment's hesitation,  
she picked up the two robes and bundled them up, tucking the cloth  
under one arm.  
  
'I'm sorry, Yoko.'  
  
  
Minako strode down the empty hallway. Distantly, she heard shouts,  
but she ignored them. Humming airily, she paused in front of a stone  
effigy of Sailor Venus and studied it. "Lousy artist."  
  
She leaped away suddenly, somesaulting easily in the air, and  
landing several feet away facing the way she came. The effigy  
dissolved in a shower of light. Minako grinned, "I take it you agree  
with me, V-chan?"  
  
Venus, standing thirty feet away, slowly lowered Her arm. "You're  
becoming a nuisance, Minako."  
  
"Aw... I'm hurt. Really. Don't you wanna know how I survived all  
these years?"  
  
"Frankly, I'd rather hear your death screams."  
  
Minako smirked, "Sounds kinda kinky, but I'm not up for it  
today." Bringing one hand up to her mouth, she kissed her fingers,  
and a small ball of light appeared. "Love and Beauty Shock!" She  
flung the ball of light at Venus, and laughed as it exploded,  
demolishing that end of the hallway. "Hah! That'll show you who's the  
real Senshi!"  
  
An arm wrapped itself around her throat, cutting off her  
breathing. "You want to know what your problem is, Minako?" Venus  
said softly. "You waste far too much time on those stupid attack  
phrases."  
  
Minako grunted, struggling, but she couldn't break Venus's hold.  
  
"Now then," continued the Senshi, "how should I kill you? Perhaps  
I'll use my laser to give you a frontal lobe lobotomy? I could always  
use more complacent slaves." Minako felt Venus press a finger agaisnt  
her left temple. "Yes, maybe I should do that. And I'll have Mercury  
put it so that you remember what you once were, so that the thought  
of your very existance is a source of unending pain to you." She  
chuckled.  
  
Minako gritted her teeth, and, hooking one leg behind Venus's,  
threw all of her weight backwards. They stumbled and fell, Venus's  
arm came loose, and Minako rolled away. Barely pausing, she whirled  
and pointed her own hand at Venus. "Terri's going to make sure that  
creeps like you no longer exist."  
  
Venus's eyes widened. "She isn't?"  
  
Minako smiled bitterly, "She is. CRESCENT BEAM!"  
  
  
Terri slammed the door behind her and bolted it. Outside, she could  
hear people pounding on door, struggling to break it down.  
  
Panting, hunched over the spasming muscles in her side, she  
quickly crossed the small bedroom and opened the only other doors.  
She lurched passed the threshold.  
  
And halted as she founded herself on a balcony thirty stories  
above the ground. "Aw crap..."  
  
The door burst open behind her. Terri turned, backing up until  
she felt her waist hit the railing. She was trapped.  
  
A sudden gust of wind swirled around her, and she shoved back the  
strands of hair that escaped Minako's ribbon. The few members of the  
mob that had entered the bedroom stopped, crying out in fear. Someone  
shouted, "Need a lift?"  
  
Terri looked, hardly believing it to be true.  
  
A large military helicopter hovered just a few feet beyond the  
railing. The large side door had been slid back, and a woman leaned  
out, one hand holding onto the side to keep her from falling out. The  
other was extended towards Terri.  
  
Terri knew better than to stand there. Clutching her bundle of  
robes more tightly, she grabbed the woman's hand. The woman heaved,  
and actually managed to haul Terri almost into the cargo bay with one  
pull. Terri scrambled the rest of the way inside and sprawled on her  
stomach on the cold floor, panting.  
  
The woman grinned down at her and shouted, "She's in! Get us out  
of her, Rei-chan!"  
  
The pilot gave them a thumbs-up through the cockpit door, and the  
helicopter shuddered and started to move. The woman slammed the door  
closed.  
  
Then she noticed that Terri hadn't moved. She knelt, removing the  
hat that had kept her brown hair out of her face, and frowned. "Hey,  
you okay?"  
  
Terri managed to roll over and look up into startleing green  
eyes. "Mi... na... ko..?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, you mean Minako-chan?"  
  
Terri nodded.  
  
The woman shrugged. "She's probably still in the Castle, raising  
all sorts of Hell." That grin again. "That's what she does best."  
  
From the cockpit, "And she always leaves us to clean up after her  
messes."  
  
The woman laughed. "That's definitly the truth. But I wouldn't  
worry about Minako-chan, Terri-chan. She's gotten into, and out of,  
worse things this. We all have."  
  
Terri finally managed to sit up. "Who's 'we?'"  
  
"We are those who believe in the Truth. The ones who fight to  
return reality to the way it is supposed to be.  
  
"We're the Descendants of the Silver Millenium." 


	3. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
Chapter 3 -  
  
  
"The Descendants of the Silver Millenium?"  
  
"Yeah, I know, it's not the best name in the world. Kinda corny,  
actually, but, hey, it's what we got. And it does a pretty good job  
at distinguishing us from the Senshi. After all, *they* can't claim  
to having lived in the Moon Kingdom. We can."  
  
Terri pulled her knees up to her chest, burying her face in the  
fabric of her skirt. "I don't understand any of this," she said  
misreably.  
  
Her rescuer laughed. "Frankly, Terri-chan, I'd be surprised if you  
*had* gotten any of this. Kami-sama knows it took Ami-chan three  
times before I even had a clue about what was going on."  
  
Terri lifted her head. "So what *is* going on? And what's going to  
happen to me? And Yoko... Can't we save her?"  
  
The woman's expression saddened. "We can't help your friend,  
Terri-chan, and I'm sorry about that. We've risked far too much just  
to get you out of Tokyo."  
  
"So we're just going to leave her?!"  
  
"Hey, If you want to waltz back in there and ask for them to  
release her, be my guest."  
  
Rei's voice drifted out from the cockpit. "I've got two CTDF  
hovercraft on my radar, Mako-chan."  
  
"Can you outfly them?"  
  
"In this heap of junk?" Rei snorted. "I'd have a better chance of  
beating all eight Senshi on my own."  
  
"'Mako-chan'?" Terri asked.  
  
She flashed Terri a bright smile. "Name's Makoto. Everybody calls  
me 'Mako-chan,' and I haven't been able to get them to stop." She  
stood. "How far till we hit the Barrier?"  
  
"Three minutes," Rei said, glancing back at them. "Two tops."  
  
Makoto nodded. "Plenty of time." She scooped her cap up and  
gestured towards the cockpit with it. "Have a seat with Rei-chan and  
strap yourself in. Things are about to get bumpy."  
  
Terri obeyed, holding the two robes Minako had given her to her  
chest. Inside the cockpit, she sat down in the co-pilot's seat.  
"What's the Barrier?"  
  
Rei, wearing a black leather jacket and a black hat, looked at  
Terri. The waning sunlight glinted off of her sunglasses. "The  
Barrier's the place where Crystal Tokyo's magic ceases to have  
influence, and its the official starting point of the Wasteland.  
We'll be safe since those hovercraft can't fly past it."  
  
The radio crackled to life. "This is the Crystal Tokyo Defense  
Force. Land your vehicle now or we will be forced to fire. I repeat,  
land-"  
  
Rei cut it off. "Mako-chan? You ready?"  
  
Wind whipped through the cockpit. "You bet!"  
  
Terri looked around. "Where are they?" Rei pointed. Terri looked  
through the right window and, by straining, she could just make out  
two black dots, which quickly resolved into two, large, black oblong  
shapes. They reminded Terri of giant ravens, wings frozen mid-flap.  
  
One of them shot past her on the right, out of sight. The other  
moved in front of them, easily matching their pace. It revolved  
around, pointing it's 'beak' at the helicopter, which had begun to  
glow red.  
  
Terri cringed in her seat. "They're going to fire!"  
  
Rei bowed her head, removing her sunglasses with her right hand.  
"Fire..."  
A small globe of swirling red energy formed at the apex of the  
hovercraft's beak.  
  
Terri screamed.  
  
Rei lifted her head, violet eyes narrowed dangerously. "SOUL!"  
  
Flames appeared around the hovercraft, and it jerked to one side  
as a bolt of red knifed through the air. Rei yanked on the control  
stick, threw herself to the right, and the laser sliced through the  
cockpit's windshield to Rei's left, vaporizing the window, leaving  
behind the smell of melted plastic and burnt leather.  
  
Seconds later, the hovercraft exploded in a shower of fire and  
black, smoking debris. As the copter flew through the fireball, Terri  
recoiled from the flames that lept through the shattered windshield.  
  
Rei sat up slowly, coughing in the smoke that had managed to get  
in. She looked at Terri, "You okay?"  
  
Terri nodded mutely, and gasped. "Your arm!"  
  
The passing laser had gone straight through the fabric of Rei's  
jacket, leaving her left arm and shoulder a bleeding mess. Rei  
examined it critically, and flexed her hand a couple of times. "It's  
nothing. I'll live."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Now is not the time to worry about my arm. I'm more concerned  
about that other hovercraft. I hope Mako-chan's okay."  
  
As if in answer, there was loud "whump" from behind them, quickly  
followed by an exuberant "HA! Take that, ya bastard!"  
  
Rei sighed, "Forget I said anything."  
  
  
A smug Makoto took over flying the helicopter, while Rei, in the  
cargo bay, used the first aid kit to treat her injury. The cargo bay  
had been stripped of all furnishings, save for two crates. Shrugging  
out of her ruined jacket, she broke open the top of one of them and  
withdrew a purple wool sweater and a couple of blankets.  
  
Pulling the sweater on over her head, she carried the blankets to  
the cockpit and gently draped them over a sleeping Terri. She studied  
the sleeping woman carefully. "She looks a lot like her father."  
  
Makoto looked briefly at Terri. Snow from the broken window  
swirled in. They had entered the Wasteland's continous winter almost  
half an hour ago. "You think so? Hm... I guess she does, kinda. More  
than I thought she would."  
  
Rei hesitated, and slowly brushed a strand of hair out of Terri's  
face to see her better.  
  
  
"You must be the new underclassman. I'm Aino Minako. You can call  
me Minako-chan. Don't call me 'sempai,' though. I still have  
nightmares about all of Mako-chan's boyfriends."  
  
Startled, I looked up from my book, shading my eyes from the  
sunlight. "Um... I'm sorry... I'm still not very good at-"  
  
"How's this, then?" Minako asked, switching easily to English.  
  
I smiled. "You speak English very well."  
  
Minako shrugged, and sat down on the bench next to me. "I spent  
a year in England. If that doesn't teach you better English, nothing  
will."  
  
"England, huh? Maybe we have a common friend up there."  
  
Minako smiled sadly, "I doubt it. I was too busy doing stuff to  
make more than a couple of friends."  
  
That got my interest. "What on earth could you have been doing for  
an entire year that so totally killed your social life?"  
  
Minako suddenly looked at her watch. "Oh, hey! Would you look at  
the time?" She stood. "I've gotta go meet my friends for our study  
session. I'll catch ya later, Terri!" She jogged off, waving over her  
shoulder.  
  
I watched her go, puzzled. As I gathered my own belongings, I  
noticed a strange object lying where Minako had sat. I picked it up  
and studied it, thinking she must have dropped it.  
  
A pink pen... Well, not a pen... Some sort of wand with wings and  
an orange-ish crystal globe sitting on top of it. I tilted it, to  
examine the surface better, and was surprised when some sort of  
symbol appeared, somehow engraven inside of the globe. The wreath  
meant nothing to me, but the other one...  
  
I spoke without realizing it, unaware of how flat and emotionless  
my voice now was. "This is the symbol of the Senshi known as Venus,  
also known as Aino Minako. Now that I have found one, it will only be  
a matter of time till I locate the others.  
  
"Then I'll have revenge for my father's murder..."  
  
  
Rei jerked her hand away. Shaking, she closed her eyes, bracing  
herself on the back of Terri's chair.  
  
"Earth to Rei-chan. Come in, Rei-chan."  
  
Rei took a deep breath, and opened her eyes. "I'm sorry,  
Mako-chan. Did you say something?"  
  
Makoto looked at her askance. "I said 'We're here.'" She peered  
closely at Rei. "You okay?"  
  
Rei looked through the windshield, leaning forward so she could  
see more easily through the near-blinding snow. A single finger of  
blackness stood out, stark against the white. Rei smiled. "Y'know, I  
don't think I've ever been happier to see the Tokyo Tower."  
  
  
Terri was awake when Makoto brought the helicopter down onto a  
landing pad so covered with snow as to be practically invisible,  
hidden as it was in the shadow of the Tower. Neither of her two  
companions seemed bother by the extreme cold, and, watching them from  
the cargo bay as they tied heavy cables to the helicopter, Terri  
found herself shivering even more fiercly, despite her two blankets.  
  
Makoto saw her and climbed in beside her. She grinned and clapped  
Terri on the back. "Don't worry. It's nice and warm down below."  
  
"B-b-b-b-b-below?"  
  
Makoto nodded.  
  
As if taking it's cue from Makoto, the entire landing pad  
shuddered. There was a loud grinding noise, and the platform begin to  
sink into the ground, descending down an elevator shaft.  
  
Terri looked up as the helicopter's blades sank beneath ground  
level. She was in time to see the shaft's entrance close above her.  
Lights blossomed along the shaft's walls, illuminating Rei as she  
joined them, her injured arm hanging stiffly at her side.  
  
Terri was amazed. "Those lights... They're not magical?"  
  
"Nope," Makoto answered. "Purely electric. You have absoluetly no  
idea how hard it is to find functioning light bulbs in this day and  
age. Right, Rei-chan?"  
  
Rei made a sound that could've been an agreement. Terri looked at  
her, and recognized the distracted expression on Rei's face. She  
sighed softly and sank into her own thoughts.  
  
They descended for a long time. Terri dozed off, lulled by the  
monotanous noise, and the appealing warmth. With a start, she sat up  
straight as she realized that it *was* warm. And getting warmer.  
Already, the two blankets seemed like too much, and she slipped them  
off. She turned to Makoto. "How-"  
  
"We tapped a couple of thermal vents, and quite a few hot springs.  
Or, that's what I managed to figure out from Ami-chan's explanation.  
It's a lot more complex than that."  
  
The elevator opened up into a loading dock full of people. As the  
platform ground to a halt, they set up a ragged cheer and swarmed the  
trio. Terri found herself hugged, patted, and fussed over. Somehow,  
she was squeezed alongside a wall and fell through a doorway.  
  
Someone laughed. "Gomen. They get a little over-excited when  
someone comes back from the surface. Here, let me help you up. My  
name is Mizuno Ami."  
  
Terri climbed to her feet and couldn't help returning Ami's gentle  
smile. "You must be the brilliant Ami-chan that Makoto keeps speaking  
about."  
  
Ami blushed. "Mako-chan tends to overexaggerate sometimes." But  
her blue eyes shone with mirth. "I suppose I should formally welcome  
you to our home, Terri-chan, since everybody else is occupied." She  
gestured for Terri to proceed her. "Come on. I'll show you around the  
base."  
  
Now that she was no longer running for her life, Terri found  
herself enjoying the other woman's presence. There was something  
about her that was different from Makoto's confidence, Rei's  
mysteriousness, and Minako's... Well, Ami was just different from  
Minako. There was also an unusual sadness about Ami that the other  
three didn't have.  
  
The underground complex was certainly impressive, and Ami had  
designed the plans for it, including the elaborate system that kept  
every part of the place well heated.  
  
The base, Ami said, consisted of five seperate levels spanning  
fifty square kilometers, with the loading dock and other  
vehicle-related operations being on the top, close to the cargo  
elevators that allowed access to the surface.  
  
The second level contained more workshops, but of smaller types,  
excluding an extensive smithy. Ami's pride took up the entire third  
level, and parts of the first two: a tri-level arboreium full of more  
trees and shrubs and plants than Terri had ever seen. They stood  
beneath a redwood so tall that its top brushed the roof  
nearly thirty feet overhead.  
  
Something fluttered, and a bright red bird landed on a lower  
branch, head tilted as it studied them.  
  
"A cardinal," Ami said, seeing Terri's fascination. "One of the  
few species that I managed to aquire before the ice killed them." She  
sighed. "I wish I could have saved more, but space was so limited...  
But I suppose I should be glad that I managed to save anything at  
all."  
  
"I wish there was something like this in Crystal Tokyo."  
  
"There is." Terri looked at her, stunned disbelief written all  
over her face. Ami coughed, and the cardinal, startled at the sound,  
flew off. "The Groves of Crystal Tokyo were designed to work in  
concert with this, my Ark. However, things didn't go quite as I  
planned. It's truly a shame, too, because some of the Groves were  
supposed to contain other varieties of flaura and fauna.  
Unfortunetly, my sources tell me that several of them have stopped  
functioning, and the contents were lost."  
  
"But, even without the Groves, this place is astounding. I wish  
all of my friends could see this."  
  
"You might get your wish, if everything works out for the best."  
  
Terri looked at Ami. "What do you mean?"  
  
Ami looked at her, then quickly looked away. "Come, you've still  
got a lot to see."  
  
  
Rei walked into her apartment, locking her door with a voice command,  
and headed directly for the bar. She poured herself a shot of Scotch  
and downed it in one gulp, slamming the shotglass on the counter.  
  
"What took you guys so long?"  
  
Rei glared at Minako over her shoulder. The other woman, sprawled  
on Rei's couch, grinned disarmingly. Rei grunted and poured herself  
another glass. She sat down at the other end of the couch. "You left  
us a couple of presents. I hope you don't mind that Mako-chan and I  
opened them without your presence."  
  
Minako shrugged. "No problemo. I was a bit occupied myself."  
  
Rei lifted an eyebrow. "You didn't..."  
  
Minako grinned. "You know, Venus really needs to get a life. She's  
turning kinda creepy."  
  
"Minako-chan!"  
  
"What? Hey, I survived, didn't I?"  
  
"That's not the point, Minako-chan. The point is-"  
  
"The *point* is that I bought you and Mako-chan enough time to get  
out of there before the Senshi realized that I wasn't alone in that  
little operation, and all at the expense of my own carcass." She  
snatched the shotglass out of a stunned Rei's hand and downed the  
Scotch. She exhaled explosivly. "Ah, Kami, I wish more of that stuff  
was still around.  
  
"The Senshi know about Terri."  
  
That jolted Rei's brain into working again. "How?"  
  
Minako had been peering into the glass, now she looked up at Rei.  
"You, of all the people in the world, have to ask that?"  
  
Rei opened her mouth, but Minako cut her off. "Is the block still  
in place?"  
  
Rei shut her mouth and looked away.  
  
Minako stood and walked to the bar. Rei jumped as she slammed the  
shot glass down hard enough to crack the thick base.  
  
Minako growled, "At least you have the decency to look guilty this  
time."  
  
Rei leaped to her feet. "That was uncalled for, Minako."  
  
Minako spun around, blue eyes blazing with fury. "You screwing  
around with Terri's head in the first place was uncalled for, Rei.  
You're the reason we're in this damn mess to begin with."  
  
Rei shook with rage. Wisps of smoke curled upwards from beneath  
her feet as the carpet started to scorch.  
  
With extreme effort, Minako regained her self control. "We can't  
afford to fight, Rei-chan. Not now."  
  
Rei closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Her voice was calm when she  
said, "What do you need me to do?"  
  
"First, we need to tell Mako-chan and Ami-chan what we did to  
Terri-chan." Rei's eyes flew open. Minako lifted a hand, forestalling  
her argument. "it's not fair, Rei-chan. Not to them. They need to  
know if they're going to help us with the final part."  
  
Rei sighed, and nodded slowly. "Yeah... I guess it's better they  
know now from us, rather than later from Terri-chan. What else?"  
  
"You need to undo what we did to Terri-chan."  
  
Rei decided to sit down again.  
  
Minako leaned heavily against the bar. For the first time, Rei  
noticed that her friend was favoring her right leg. Rei shook her  
head. "You don't know what you're asking me to do."  
  
"I know exactly what I'm asking you to do. I'm your leader,  
remember?"  
  
Rei laughed sourly. "Oh, I remember all right. And Kami-sama knows  
I wish you weren't."  
  
  
Terri's rooms were located on the fourth level, along with everyone  
elses. Ami's labs, and some sort of complex that Ami hadn't been able  
to describe accurately, were on the fifth level.  
  
Terri feared that all the luxury would spoil her. Her bedroom  
alone was twice the size of her dorm. She didn't even want to try  
comparing the size of her bathroom to the shower room at the  
University. All the opulence threatened to make her either sick or  
giddy.  
  
Ami watched from the doorway as Terri went through the rooms,  
exploring this or that. She laughed when Terri exclaimed over the  
size of her closet. While Terri raided the refrigerator, Ami  
explained the nearby facilaties in greater detail.  
  
"There's a gym and baths in Section A. Feel free to use both. If  
you need anything, just ask somebody. They'll be happy to help you  
out. Hm... I'll have to get someone to make you some more clothes."  
  
"How do I get in touch with you, or the others? Where do you  
sleep?"  
  
Ami got a strange look on her face. "If you ever need me, I'll be  
in my lab. I usually have several projects going that require  
near-constant attendance. My apartments are down there.  
  
"As for the others... Mako-chan's somewhere around here, but she's  
usually up in the Ark, helping out the gardnerers."  
  
Terri looked up from her food search, "She likes to garden?"  
  
Ami smiled, "Surprising, ne? But, yes, she does. And she's  
excellent at it.  
  
"However, should you ever need to talk to Rei-chan or Minako-chan,  
don't bother searching for them. Those two always seem to pop up  
whenever you need them. And when you don't need them, they can never  
be found."  
  
Terri nodded and took her findings to the coffee table in front of  
the couch. "Huh..."  
  
"Are you going to eat all of that?" Ami gestured to the mound of  
food.  
  
Terri grinned. "Yes."  
  
Something on Ami's wrist started beeping. She looked down at it,  
and then smiled at Terri. "Then I'll leave you to it. Try not to  
gorge yourself."  
  
Terri was too busy stuffing her face to say goodbye.  
  
  
"Mercury."  
  
She lifted Her head. "I see You survived Your encounter with  
Minako."  
  
"Cut the crap. She's alive."  
  
Mercury closed Her eyes, seeing through Her mind's eye a tiled  
floor, a sink, and a toilet, all starkly lit by a single flourescent  
light in the ceiling. "I am aware of that fact, Venus."  
  
"What are We going to do about it?"  
  
"You shall do nothing. I am already dealing with the matter."  
  
"What!? You have the nerve to sit there and tell *Me* not to do  
anything!"  
  
Her vision shifted so that She looked down, into the sink. Water  
ran from the faucet, washing down a copious amount of blood from the  
porcelin.  
  
"Venus, I am the patron Senshi of Knowledge. There is nothing that  
goes on that is beyond My notice. When I say that You will do  
nothing, then You will do nothing, is that clear?" Her voice was as  
sharp and brittle as thin ice.  
  
Venus's rage was evident. "What do You know that I don't, Mercury?  
What have You been hiding from Me?"  
  
Once again, Her vision changed, staring at the mirror above the  
sink. The reflection revealed a pale and drawn Ami. She slowly  
pressed a trembling hand to her lips.  
  
Unconciously, Mercury mimicked the action. Opening Her eyes, She  
pulled Her hand away, gazing steadily at the blood on Her gloves.  
Slowly, She smiled. "Face it, Venus. I just have better sources of  
information than You do." 


	4. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
Chapter 4 -  
  
  
Terri stood, relativly calm now that she had eaten and slept. She  
watched as several mechanics swarmed over the helicopter, refueling  
this, fixing that, patching up gaps in the helicopter caused by the  
hovercraft's lasers.  
  
Watching people perform manual labor was new to her. In Crystal  
Tokyo, if something wasn't done by magic, then it usually wasn't done  
it all. Having living most of her life in Crystal Tokyo, seeing all  
of these people do things by hand was... strange.  
  
"You look puzzled."  
  
Terri didn't bother to turn around. She'd know who she'd see.  
Instead she pointed to the mechanics. "Why don't they use magic?"  
  
Rei stepped forward, into Terri's field of vision. "They can't."  
  
"But, the Senshi say that everyone is able to use magic. They just  
need to be taught how."  
  
"And you believe everything the Senshi say? Especially after that  
mess with your friend, Yoko?"  
  
Terri bowed her head. "Why did I just leave her there?"  
  
"I don't know. Why did you?"  
  
"I... I guess I figured that... well... that when Minako came for  
me, she'd save Yoko, too." She looked at Rei. "I mean, she could've,  
couldn't she?"  
  
Rei looked at her, then at the mechanics. "No. Yoko's purpose in  
our plan was to provide us with a distraction in order to sneak you  
out of the palace."  
  
Terri spun, face pale, in complete astonishment. "You..."  
  
Rei didn't look at her. "Of course, everything would have gone  
much more smoothly had you not alerted the Senshi."  
  
Terri's hands clenched into fists. Rei continued, oblivious. "But,  
I suppose, using Yoko like that wasn't a total waste. I mean, it did  
keep Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury occupied long enough for me to fly  
the chopper in without dodging the CTDF left and right."  
  
Terri punched Rei.  
  
Or, rather, that's what she intended to do.  
  
Rei caught Terri's fist and looked at her, violet eyes twin pools  
of darkness. "Lesson number three: The more pure your purpose is, the  
larger the sacrifice you must make. Had it not been for Yoko, you  
would have been killed a long time ago.  
  
"You owe it to her to stay alive for as long as possible."  
  
Terri let her arm drop, her eyes misted with tears. "Why? Why am I  
so important?"  
  
"Because of who your parents were." Gently, she took Terri's arm.  
"Walk with me."  
  
  
An old service elevator took them up through the Tokyo Tower,  
depositing them on the observation deck. Terri thought it would be  
cold but, for some reason, it was incredibly warm. She glanced at  
Rei, but Rei seemed not to notice the unusual heat.  
  
They walked over to the large windows, but if Rei saw something  
other than swirling snow, she didn't tell Terri. Rei said, "Your  
mother was a wonderful woman. I only met her a few times, but I  
easily understood why Minako-chan looked up to her so much. Her loss  
really hurt us, and not just because we no longer had inside access  
to various law enforcment agencies."  
  
The swirl of snow parted, revealing stark metal beams extending  
out into darkness. Minako stood on one of them, her gaze fixed on  
some distant point, unaware of either the cold or her two watchers.  
  
Looking at her, Terri shivered slightly. "What happened to my  
mother?"  
  
Rei closed her eyes. "She was murdered."  
  
  
Minako closed her eyes.  
  
The phone was ringing. I was so deep into my homework that it  
had taken me a moment to remember that, except for Artemis, I was  
alone in the house.  
  
I dropped my pencil on my desk and raced downstairs, snatching the  
phone up before the caller decided to hang up. "Moshi moshi," I said  
a little breathlessly.  
  
"Minako?" someone asked in English.  
  
I stiffened, and forced my voice to remain light as I responded in  
the same language. "Big brother Alan! What a surprise! How's Katarina  
and the baby? Are you guys coming down for my birthday?"  
  
"Minako... I..."  
  
I frowned. "Alan? What's wrong with your voice? Do you have a cold  
or something?"  
  
"There's been an accident, Minako. Katarina's dead."  
  
Strange. My hands were shaking. "Stop kidding around, Alan. Tell  
me what's really wrong."  
  
"Minako, I just told you-"  
  
"No," I said harshly, "You told me that onee-sama was dead and  
that's a lie!"  
  
"Minako..."  
  
"No!" I said, louder.  
  
Alerted by the fear in my voice, Artemis padded down the stairs  
and watched me from the bottom step.  
  
"Minako, listen to me!"  
  
"You lying son of a-"  
  
"MY *WIFE* IS DEAD!"  
  
My knees gave out and I collapsed where I stood. Closing my eyes,  
feeling tears slide down my cheeks, I leaned my head against the  
wall. 'Onee-sama...' Faintly, "Elizabeth?"  
  
His silence was almost more than I could bear.  
  
Artemis, truly worried now, brushed up against my arm. I stroked  
him absently. "I'm coming up there," I said, my voice toneless.  
  
"Minako, you don't-"  
  
"Like Hell I don't!" I shouted. I was holding the reciever so  
tightly that it cracked. Now I knew why Rei was always mad. If you're  
angry enough, you can't feel pain.  
  
And I was furious.  
  
I shot to my feet, screaming, "If you think I'm gonna let some  
bastard get away with killing my onee-sama and my God-daughter,  
you're crazy! I'm gonna take his damn head off!" I slammed the  
receiver down and sprinted outside, ignoring Artemis's shouts,  
transforming into Sailor Venus mid-stride.  
  
I wasn't going to let anyone get away with this. I didn't care if  
I had to kill half the population of England, *nobody* was going to  
be spared from my wrath.  
  
"Sailor... TELEPORT!"  
  
Minako opened her eyes and looked up at the moon. A cloud, one of  
many, blew across the sky, briefly obscuring the moon and sinking the  
ground below into darkness. When it had passed, she was gone.  
  
  
Rei opened her eyes. "The Senshi tried to find out who did it, but it  
was years before they discovered who the murderer was and, by then,  
it was already too late."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Rei looked at Terri silently. She shook her head. "You're not  
ready for that. Not yet."  
  
"I'm not ready for what?"  
  
Rei sighed. "You're not ready to find out about your father."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Rei looked at her, irritated. "Because he's the one that killed  
your mother!"  
  
Terri decided that, just this once, she wasn't going to press the  
issue.  
  
  
They returned to the base proper via the elevator. "Now that you're  
here," Rei said as they walked, "You'll be expected to pitch in with  
the work. I know you're not used to manual labor but, trust me, in  
about a month you'll barely remember what it was like in Crystal  
Tokyo.  
  
"In addition to whatever job you take, you'll be working with me  
and Mako-chan during your spare time."  
  
"Working on what?"  
  
"This." Rei lifted a hand and made a fist. Flames erupted into  
existance, running along her forearm without burning the skin  
beneath. She grinned as Terri yelped and leaped back, slamming her  
back against the wall.  
  
Rei relaxed her hand and the flames vanished. "Although, I  
suppose, that is a bad example. After all, you can't call fire. You  
can, however, take my own power, intensify it, and reflect it back at  
me. That's your father's particular little gift to you."  
  
Terri slowly peeled herself off the wall. "And the Senshi want me  
because I can do that?"  
  
"Hm... no. The Senshi want you because you can kill them. But  
that's getting ahead of ourselves. Right now, you're not a threat to  
them. Or anyone. Ami-chan could probably beat the snot out of you.  
That's why Mako-chan's gonna train you in the martial arts." She  
smiled at Terri. "Feeling overwhelmed yet, Terri-chan?"  
  
Terri sighed heavily, "From the moment I got here."  
  
Rei looked at her sympathetically. "Go have a bath. Think about  
what I've told you. Or try not to think about it. You'll have plenty  
of time to absorb all of this."  
  
Terri made a noise and trudged off. Rei watched her go, then  
turned down a side corridor when she was out of sight. Rei took a  
deep breath, calming herself down.  
  
"Well?"  
  
Rei glanced to her right, to find Minako walking beside her. Rei  
shook her head. "We did our jobs too well. She didn't even respond to  
my fire. I'll have to start from the very beginning."  
  
"Dammit. We don't have much time, Rei-chan."  
  
"I know that, Minako-chan. I'd rush it, but I don't want to risk  
killing everyone."  
  
"Huh... Did she remember about-"  
  
"No."  
  
Minako shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "Maybe  
that's for the best, then."  
  
Rei looked at Minako, but her friend was too deeply sunk in  
thought. After a while, Minako gave herself a little shake and  
sighed. "I'm worried about Ami-chan."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"She's been acting wierd. Staying in her lab all hours of the day,  
forgetting to eat, forgetting to sleep, being really... *intense*  
about her current project."  
  
"And how is this different from how she normally acts?"  
  
Minako met Rei's eyes. "That's just it, Rei-chan. Ami-chan *never*  
acted like that. Or, she never used to."  
  
"We've all changed, Minako-chan."  
  
"This is Ami-chan we're talking about, Rei-chan. *Ami-chan.* Out  
of the four of us, she's supposed to be the sane, non-obsessed  
person. I mean, I know she was introverted before, but this is  
extreme. Exactly when did she start acting like some sorta paranoid  
madly-scientific geek?"  
  
Rei sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I guess I can drop by  
her place and see if she's okay."  
  
Minako clapped Rei on the back. "That's my girl. I'm heading out  
to one of the outposts. Think you can keep from killing everyone for  
a week?"  
  
Rei smiled dryly. "I'll try."  
  
  
Ami swore quietly, winding a strip of cloth around her bleeding right  
hand. Of all the times to be clumsy...  
  
A knock at the door, "Ami-chan? You there?"  
  
Panic. Ami grabbed the box, looked about frantically, and shoved  
it under her bed. "Yeah, Rei-chan. I'm here." She looked at her hand,  
then at the blood on the table. No way to clean that up in time.  
She'd just have to lie about it. "Come on in."  
  
The door whooshed. "Just thought I'd drop by and see how you're  
do-" She stopped. "What the hell is that!?"  
  
Her heart thudding erratically in her chest, Ami looked through  
her bedroom door to the living room. Rei stood next to the coffee  
table, and was staring at something. Ami hesitated, then grabbed her  
lab coat from its chair and threw it on, shoving her injured hand  
into the deep pockets. Her fingers found the hilt of the knife, and  
curled protectivly around it.  
  
Rei, her back to Ami, crouched down to study whatever had caught  
her attention.  
  
Ami stepped out of her bedroom, bare feet making no noise on the  
carpet, her breath misting in the suddenly chill air. All she had to  
do was get close enough...  
  
She was less than a meter from Rei's back when Rei shivered and  
looked behind her, directly at Ami. "Kami-sama, Ami-chan, it's cold  
in here! What'd you do, cut off the heat to your rooms?"  
  
Ami's mind stumbled briefly and she stammered, "The... um... the  
heating unit's out. I haven't gotten around to reparing it."  
  
Rei looked at her, probably noting Ami's shorts and tank top.  
"Yeah, well, I guess it doesn't matter so long as it's not bothering  
you." She pointed to the object on the table. "What's this thing?"  
  
Ami looked past her to the table, where a large aquarium sat.  
"That's a tarantula I found wandering about the surface near Crystal  
Tokyo."  
  
Rei regarded it with disgust. "Ugly bastard."  
  
"It isn't very pretty," Ami conceeded, "but it's good for keeping  
the rat population in the Ark under control."  
  
"We have rats in the Ark?!"  
  
Ami sighed, more to relax herself than in irritation. She forced  
herself to release the knife. "Of course we have rats in the Ark.  
Just because they're a bit gross doesn't mean I'd refuse to save  
them." She studied Rei critically. "Did you want something?"  
  
Rei gave the ugly spider a final look and a shudder, and stood.  
"Not really. I just wanted to see if you were okay."  
  
"I'm fine, Rei-chan. Thanks for checking."  
  
Rei nodded, "So what have you been doing lately?"  
  
Ami tensed, but her voice remained calm. "Oh, nothing really. This  
and that. Helping Mako-chan find some fertilizers that won't wreck  
the natural taste of her vegtable garden, mostly."  
  
"Nothing new, then?"  
  
"Nothing you don't know about, Rei-chan," Ami lied smoothly.  
  
Rei made a sound. "Hm... well, I guess I'll leave you to it." She  
started towards the door.  
  
"Don't leave me alone, Rei-chan!" Ami nearly shouted, but, though  
her entire body protested, she kept silent. In a moment, Rei was  
gone.  
  
Ami fell to her knees and punched the carpet. "Why didn't I tell  
her?" she growled. "Dammit, what's happening to me? Who's messing  
with head?!"  
  
A hand touched her shoulder. She flinched and tried to pull away,  
but it was if her entire body had turned to ice. "There now,  
Ami-chan. Don't you worry. Everything's going to be fine."  
  
With a snarl of rage, Ami yanked the knife out of her pocket,  
spinning around and slashing at the hand.  
  
She was the only one in the room.  
  
She stood slowly, looking around her warily. "Gotta get out of  
here," she muttered. She walked towards the door, stopped, and  
drifted instead to the tarantula's case, dropping the knife as she  
went.  
  
Slowly, she lowered one arm into the tank, and calmly watched as  
the tarantula crawled onto the back of her hand and begin to make its  
way up her arm. Her other hand, her injured one, lifted of its own  
accord and gently brushed the spider's abdomen.  
  
A sharp, brittle crack. The tarantula fell to the floor, its body  
encased in ice.  
  
Ami smiled and walked back to her room. She had work to do.  



	5. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
Chapter 5 -  
  
  
Terri closed her eyes, breathed deeply. Arms extended before her,  
palms out, fingers spread, she "touched" the very air with her mind,  
feeling small tendrils of power snake down her arms, causing the fine  
hairs to rise. Calmly, she reached down inside herself, tapped the  
well of her own power, and smiled internally as her senses were  
hightened dramatically. She spoke, marveling at the ability to feel  
the passage of the air as it was forced out of her lungs, past her  
vocal cords, and out of her mouth. "I'm ready."  
  
Rei's voice came from behind Terri, and slightly to her left.  
Terri didn't know how far away Rei was, but the heat along her back  
suggested that the other woman was fairly close by. "Now."  
  
Terri's eyes snapped open, in time to see Makoto's fist streaking  
for her face. Terri ducked, Makoto's blow going over her head. She  
kicked out with one leg, going for a sweep. Makoto backflipped away,  
landed in a crouch, and, without pausing, leaped into the air.  
Electricity flowed down her arms, condensing into a single ball.  
  
"Sparkling Wide..."  
  
Terri looked up and threw both hands forward, palms facing  
Makoto, an intense look of concentration on her face as power flowed  
out of her, to her hands. Blackness swirled around her, and begin to  
take form.  
  
"Pressure!" Makoto whipped the ball forward, straight at Terri.  
Terri grunted as it struck the half-formed dome of blackness and  
halted in mid-air, throwing off sparks that fell harmlessly to the  
ground.  
  
Makoto landed, arms crossed in front of her as she formed a second  
attack.  
  
Terri gritted her teeth, the shield beginning to buckle from the  
strain of the first attack.  
  
Rei shouted, "Fire Soul!"  
  
Terri half-turned, shocked to see a wall of fire heading for her.  
Was Rei insane?!  
  
Terri sorted through all of her options in an instant, discarded  
them all, and panicked. Banishing the dome, she dove to one side and  
rolled away.  
  
The two magic attacks collided where she had been standing, and  
exploded in a frenzy of fire and electricity. The shockwave slammed  
into Terri, and hurled against one of the far walls hard enough to  
knock her out.  
  
  
"What the hell were you doing?! You could've killed her!"  
  
"She's not hurt that badly, Mako-chan. And she would have been  
just fine if she hadn't panicked."  
  
'I didn't panick,' Terri thought foggily, and then she realized  
that she was still alive.  
  
"Just fine?" Makoto nearly shouted. "She could barely block my  
attack, Rei-chan, let alone both of ours at once."  
  
"She has got to get used to fighting more than one person. She  
should be capable of that by now."  
  
"She isn't a superheroine, Rei-chan. She can't keep up at your  
pace, so stop pushing her!"  
  
"Look, Mako-chan, I don't have time to argue-"  
  
"You damn well better make time, Rei. This is the third time  
you've pushed her past her ability in the past two months, and the  
first time she's been hurt because of it. She can't-"  
  
"She *can*, and she better. Ami-chan's detected a massive force  
mobilizing in Crystal Tokyo."  
  
Total silence. It was an effort for Terri to continue faking  
unconciousness.  
  
"How long do we have?" Makoto's voice was dangerously soft.  
  
"Ami-chan estimates a month, maybe two if we're lucky and the  
weather holds."  
  
"Great. Just great. You guys expect me to turn her into a perfect  
assassain in *one MONTH*?!"  
  
Terri's insides turned into a lump of ice. 'Assassain?'  
  
"Well, if you include the two months training she's already had-"  
  
"Shut the hell up, Rei."  
  
Surprisingly, Rei was silent.  
  
Makoto sighed, "Okay... I'll do what I can. But whatever else you,  
or anybody else, had planned for her just got cancelled."  
  
"What!"  
  
"Do you want her to be able to kill Senshi, or be killed by  
Senshi? One or the other."  
  
Terri realizied that the strange noise she was hearing was Rei  
grinding her teeth.  
  
Makoto continued, "That's what I thought. Now, you run off and do  
whatever the hell it is you do when I'm not arguing with you. I'm  
going to haul Terri-chan to her room and go get myself nice and drunk  
before I start to completly kick her ass tomorrow morning. And I  
don't want to see you till evac starts."  
  
Something shifted Terri. Pain exploded in her head and, screaming  
soundlessly, she fell into a realm of lost memories.  
  
  
I was lost.  
  
Not literally. I knew what street I was on as I made my slow way  
down the sidewalk, and I knew how far away I was from my apartment.  
  
I was lost mentally, drifting through my life with only the  
vaguest of directions: kill the Senshi.  
  
I didn't know why, or how, I was supposed to kill them. Of my  
father I had no memories, only the mental image I had created from  
Jake's descriptions: tall like me, silver hair and silver eyes like  
me, pale skin (I looked more like my mother in that aspect), and,  
according to Jake, tremendously powerful. A man to be feared.  
  
My adopted brother feared and hated my father. But Jake feared and  
hated everyone, even me. I wasn't particularly upset when Jake died  
during Galaxia's final attack. But I missed him, since Jake had  
always known what to do.  
  
I hefted the transformation wand of Super Sailor Venus, marveling  
at the weight of such a small thing. It was easily ten, maybe fifteen  
pounds. What was that saying? "Duty is lighter than a feather and  
heavier than a mountain?" The Senshi's duties must weigh heavily on  
them indeed.  
  
Maybe if I dissected this wand, I could find out how to destroy  
the Senshi.  
  
There was a noise behind me, a low throaty cough that reminded me  
of a panther. I turned around slowly, noticing for the first time  
that I was the only person on the street.  
  
A youma stood ten meters away from me; a large, muscled black cat  
that looked vaguely humanoid. Tail lashing, amber eyes narrowed, it  
made that sound again, and rose onto two legs.  
  
I regarded it silently and without fear. I had spent my life  
around Jake's youma and, in time, they learned that I wasn't someone  
to be trifled with.  
  
I glared at it, gathering my power to turn the monster into atomic  
dust, and was suddenly struck by an overpowering wave of vertigo. The  
transformation wand fell from nerveless fingers and rolled away. I  
fell to my knees as the sidewalk abrubtly canted to one side.  
  
The demon cat saw its chance. It leaped at me, roaring in  
triumphant victory.  
  
A flash of golden light to my right. A laser beam struck the youma  
in mid-flight, punching straight through its neck. It screamed,  
dissolving as it died, and I found myself covered in dead demon dirt.  
  
Coughing, I brushed the dust off of me, raising small clouds black  
ash. "Are you okay?" somebody asked.  
  
I looked at her. She sat on the roof of a nearby car, watching me  
with concern and amusment. Super Sailor Venus. The name echoed  
through my mind, and I waited, expecting her to... to...  
  
I put a hand to my head and closed my eyes as the vertigo swelled.  
  
A gloved hand touched my shoulder gently, "Terri-chan? Hey, are  
you okay? Did it hurt you?"  
  
The vertigo receeded somewhat, and it took something with it.  
  
I opened my eyes and pulled my hand away. Fine black dust rose in  
small clouds from my hair and clothes. I gasped, inhaling the dust,  
and broke into a fit of coughing.  
  
"Want some water?" someone said, and I turned to see an unfamiliar  
woman crouched next to me. I scrambled away, came across my bookbag,  
and pulled it in front of me as a shield. "Who are you?"  
  
She stood, absently dusting her gloves off, and studied me  
carefully. "I'm Super Sailor Venus." She frowned. "You don't remember  
what just happened, do you?"  
  
I stood as well. I had been on my way home from classes, and  
then... and then... I looked her and said, "I don't remember. I don't  
remember anything."  
  
  
She woke up in her own bed.  
  
She sat up slowly, swallowing the bile and nausea that climbed up  
her throat, closing her eyes as the room swirled around her. When she  
felt stable again, she opened her eyes, and found Minako straddling  
the back of her desk chair.  
  
Terri looked at her and said slowly, "Your plan won't work. The  
Senshi can't die."  
  
A slight narrowing of Minako's eyes was the only sign of  
expression she showed. "So you found out, ne?"  
  
"Is that what you had planned for me the entire time? Teach me how  
to use whatever the hells kinda power I have and just turn me into a  
living weapon? I'm not going to do your dirty work!"  
  
"You don't understand. You are the only one who can-"  
  
"I don't care what I can do. You made me abandon Yoko; I won't do  
anything else just to fufill your sick, twisted, heretical schemes."  
  
Minako's voice contained venom. "You have absolutly no idea how  
much has been sacrificed, how much as been lost, just to bring you  
here. I will not hear someone like you slander something that has  
taken hundreds of years to prepare for. If I ever hear you talk like  
that again, I'll personally make sure that you wish that Rei-chan had  
killed with that stray attack.  
  
"In the meantime, you will be what you were born to be. A tool. A  
weapon. A hunk of plastique that I'm going to mold into a C4 charge  
from Hell. And if you don't like it, then you can walk back to  
Crystal Tokyo tonight and I won't stop you."  
  
Terri glared at Minako. "I won't be your pawn."  
  
Minako's smile held no warmth. "Now, you remind me of your  
father."  
  
Terri lay down, putting her back to Minako. "Go away. Leave me  
alone."  
  
Minako said nothing for a long time. Finally, "Gomen, I shouldn't  
have yelled at you like that. If I told you that I was truly sorry  
for the way your life was turning out, would you accept my apology?"  
She sounded sincere.  
  
Terri closed her eyes, trying to shut out Minako's presence.  
  
Minako sighed softly, and Terri heard the scrape of the chair as  
she stood. Minako said, "After Galaxia's defeat, the world became a  
somewhat more peaceful place. Japan's goverment called the whole  
Galaxia fiasco a publicity stunt to promote Galaxy TV and, just like  
that, the Senshi once again became money-making machines. The Senshi  
didn't mind, of course. Free from their jobs as Defenders of the  
World, they were able to return their normal lives. Everybody  
expected things to stay calm and peaceful for a long time.  
  
"With things as they were, it's almost ironic that the Senshi  
caused the destruction of the world as people knew it."  
  
Terri said, "The Senshi didn't destroy the world. If it weren't  
for Them, nobody would have lived through the anarchy that occured  
when the World Nation collapsed. None of us would be here now."  
  
Minako laughed bitterly, "Ah, my poor, misguided Terri-chan. You  
are, in a way, correct.  
  
"After the collapse of the World Nation, during all of the anarchy  
as country fought country in a series of pointless wars, a madman  
with some nukes decided to detonate his bombs inside of every volcano  
on the planet, which was not only a stupid and deadly thing to do,  
but it's been done to death, if you'll pardon to pun.  
  
"Since nobody was capable of dealing with this man, let alone with  
his outrageous demands, the Senshi took it upon themselves to handle  
things. They fought the madman and his minions inside of the volcano  
where his main bomb had been stashed."  
  
Terri waited, but Minako didn't continue. She shifted positions  
slightly, and opened her eyes to see Minako standing at the foot of  
her bed, arms folded, as the older woman stared fixedly at a point on  
Terri's wall. Terri said, "What happened?"  
  
Minako blinked and looked at Terri. "The Senshi won... and they  
lost.  
  
"They won in that they killed the madman, and stopped his bombs  
from turning the planet into a big ball of molten lava.  
  
"They lost in that the cost of victory was the life of their  
Leader. She sacrificed herself to save a single person, the same  
person that would later cause the disaster that would make Earth  
freeze over."  
  
Minako sat down on the bed, hiding her face from Terri's view.  
After a while, she said, "When it was discovered that the Earth was  
headed for a Second Ice Age, people turned to the Senshi to save  
them. But the Senshi realized that, without their Leader, they were  
practically powerless to stop what was happening. And that was when  
they were given their Choice: they could watch as everyone around  
them died and hope that, somehow, a solution would present itself at  
the last moment. Or they could gain the power to save a fraction of  
the world's population, but at a price."  
  
"They chose to save the fraction?" Minako nodded. Terri thought  
for a moment, then said, "What was the price?"  
  
Minako looked down at her hands. "They gained incredible power,  
enough to rival God's... and, in the process, they were stripped of  
their humanity." Her hands clenched tightly, then relaxed.  
  
"Nobody minded at first, since, after all, the world was being  
saved. But, when Crystal Tokyo was being created, certain... issues  
began to show up.  
  
"It started with the Reeducation program. The Senshi believed that  
it would pointless to create a Utopia if the same old people were  
around to mess things up. So the Senshi searched the souls of people  
they saved, and decided to 'correct' those with the worst problems.  
Rapists, murderers, thieves, all of them ceased to exist, turned into  
model citizens. Crimes would become non-existant.  
  
"But, the Senshi figured, why should they stop there? Since they  
had banished major crimes, why not get rid of minor ones? No more  
liars, no more littering, no more jay-walking, no more drug  
addictions. Just complete and total peace.  
  
"But, why stop there? Why reform only the criminals? Why not the  
normal citizen that could use some 'help' with some of their more  
troubling issues? Like phobias. Or shyness. Or laziness. Or any of  
those 'bad' attributes. After all, without those base attributes,  
'evil' thoughts have nothing to grow from. And, since we're on this  
line of thought, let's take it one step further.  
  
"Why not just wipe everybody's head clean and start all over?  
  
"And that's what they did. The Senshi became corrupted by their  
own power and didn't even know it. As people woke from their stasis,  
the Senshi took out the memories of the person's old life, and  
inserted whatever the Senshi wanted them to know. Everybody in  
Crystal Tokyo is just a big bunch of programmed robots, living out  
their daily lives according to the whims of the Senshi.  
  
"And as for the people that prove to be more resistant to the  
Senshi's 'Reeducation' program? Well, some, like your friend Yoko,  
are called heretics and are submitted to a second, even more  
intensive Reeducation program, one that ususally kills all but the  
strongest willed individuals. Those that do survive become the  
Senshi's Priests and Priestesses. Everybody else that the Senshi  
don't like are usually dumped into the Wasteland and left to die.  
Fortunetly for them, we pick them up and give them a new home."  
  
She sighed and stood, looking at Terri. "And this is the world  
that humanity wished for. A perfect world, so long as you don't cross  
the Senshi. A perfect world, so long as you don't have a unique  
thought in your brain. Do you think they're happy with their wish?"  
  
Terri remembered the stark beauty of the Crystal Palace and  
fanatical worship of the Senshi's followers, Yoko's heresy trial and  
the resigned look on her face when she realized Terri wouldn't help  
her, the smiling faces of the people as the CTDF hovercraft circled  
the city like vultures. She shuddered. "That's not a Utopia. It's a  
nightmare, and nobody even realizes it," she whispered.  
  
Minako smiled sadly. "You understand now, don't you?"  
  
Terri nodded. She understood. "I have to kill the Senshi."  
  
  
Shouji and Kiyomi came by after Minako left to see how she was  
feeling.  
  
The duo were mechanics and had been helping Terri learn how to fix  
the snowmobiles, a task that Terri had proved herself to be good at.  
They had all become friends, and, much to everyone's annoyance, had  
spent a lot of time drinking, bickering, and generally dragging Terri  
into trouble.  
  
Now, Kiyomi bounced through the door to Terri's bedroom and leaped  
onto the bed, cradling Terri's head to her chest and wailing. "My  
poor Terri! Struck down in the prime of her life by an errant blow!  
How ever will I live without her!" She buried her face into Terri's  
hair and wailed louder, all the time ignoring Terri's protestations.  
  
Shouji's entrance was, in contrast, almost anti-climatic. He  
smiled gently at Terri from his position in the doorway and rolled  
his eyes at Kiyomi's antics. "She isn't dead, Kiyomi," he said.  
  
Kiyomi paused in her drama to glare at Shouji. "I know that,  
stupid. But I'm trying to be sympathetic to her cause."  
  
Terri pulled away. "And what cause would that be?"  
  
Kiyomi pouted, pale blue eyes filling with tears. "I heard you  
challenged Makoto to a duel in the name of your family's honor." She  
hugged Terri painfully tight, crying, "I wish I could be brave like  
you!"  
  
"You're gonna be dead if you don't let me go," Terri wheezed.  
Reluctantly, Kiyomi released her and slid to edge of the bed,  
sniffling at Terri's glare.  
  
"Don't be too mad, Terri," Shouji said in his usual quiet tone.  
"She really was worried about you. We both were."  
  
Shouji was short for a man, but heavily muscled from lifting heavy  
equipment all of the time, with short dark brown hair and eyes, and a  
goatee that had absoluetly refused to get rid of. Despite his rugged  
appearance, he was a quiet man, and Terri liked him.  
  
Which made it even harder to believe that he was friends with a  
loud-mouthed, hyperactive, twit like Kiyomi. They were complete  
opposites, she fair where he was dark, her long light-blue hair and  
eyes a total contrast his own. She was even taller than him, although  
not as tall as Terri.  
  
Terri sighed and looked at Kiyomi, "I'm sorry, Kiyomi. I shouldn't  
have yelled at you. I'm grateful for your concern."  
  
Kiyomi's head snapped up and she beamed radiantally at Terri.  
"Really?" Terri nodded, and was promptly tackled by a squealing,  
delirously happy Kiyomi.  
  
Terri laughed and removed herself from Kiyomi's grasp. "Okay,  
okay. Enough! What's all this mess about a duel?"  
  
Shouji answered, "It's the biggest rumour around the base.  
Something about you, Makoto, and Rei getting into a three-way brawl,  
and you kicked their butts."  
  
Kiyomi blinked, "That's not how I heard it. I heard that Makoto  
insulted Terri's cooking, and Terri, in a righteous fit of wrath  
demanded retribution and they had a big cooking contest and Terri's  
oven blew up!"  
  
Shouji chuckled at the mortified look on Terri's face. "There are  
other versions, but Kiyomi and I decided to go straight to the  
source."  
  
Kiyomi nodded emphatically. "And, since you're the source, you can  
tell us what really happened! So, tell us already!"  
  
Terri shook her head, "I don't know if I should be telling you  
guys..."  
  
Kiyomi grabbed Terri's arm. "Please!?"  
  
Shoji said, "I must confess. I am curious."  
  
Terri sighed and relented. "Okay, this is what really happ-"  
  
"I'm sorry, am I intruding?"  
  
Shouji turned, and Terri and Kiyomi looked past him to where Ami  
stood behind him, a sheaf of papers in one hand. She smiled warmly,  
"I can come back later, if now is inconvinient."  
  
"N-no!" Terri said. She climbed to her feet and dragged Kiyomi  
with her. "Not at all, Ami. What can we do for you?"  
  
Ami rifled through her papers and pulled one out. She handed it to  
Shouji. "I was wondering if the three of you would be willing to  
scout out these coordinates for me using the snowmobiles."  
  
Kiyomi snatched the paper out of Shouji's hand. "Sure, Ami! We'd  
love to, but..." She turned to Terri, and tears filled her eyes.  
"But... Terri's hurt..."  
  
Terri shook her head. "I'll be fine. It's just a bump on the head.  
Really. A little trip like that shouldn't be to bad, right Ami?"  
  
Ami smiled and nodded. "You need some time outdoors, Terri. Who  
knows the next time you three will be assigned a scouting mission?"  
  
The trio winced, all of them remembering the last mission they had  
been assigned, which had ended with them nearly dying when they  
decided to chase down a herd of rogue reindeer. Mutant reindeer as it  
turned out. They had wrecked one snowmobile, and had to abandon the  
other two when they had run out of gas. If another scouting party  
hadn't come across them, all three of them might have frozen to  
death. When they had returned, Minako hadn't been very happy to learn  
about how they had lost the snowmobiles.  
  
Terri nodded. "Well, I guess it's decided then. We'll take this  
mission for you, Ami. We'll leave right away."  
  
Ami smiled. "Thank you, Terri. I know you won't fail me."  
  
  
Mercury opened Her eyes and looked at one of Her Priests, who knelt  
by the door. "Go to Lady Venus and tell Her to wait for My signal."  
  
The Priest stood, saluted, and left.  
  
One of the shdadows shifted. "Will I be accompanying You, Lady  
Mercury?"  
  
Mercury frowned slightly. "I suppose you could, so long as you're  
not underfoot. I do not like it whe people get in My way."  
  
The shadow inclined its head politely, "Of course not, my Lady.  
You will not even know I am there."  
  
Mercury frowned at the shadow, but refused to let Her mistrust  
show on Her face. Instead, She laced Her fingers together and closed  
Her eyes again. "Be silent. It's time to set the final part of My  
plan into motion."  



	6. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
Chapter 6 -  
  
  
It had started with the knife.  
  
It sat on Ami's desk, a wicked, lethal looking thing, with a blade  
the length of Ami's forearm, and a hilt that seemed made to fit Ami's  
hand. Set into the pommel was a faceted crystal sphere, clear as any  
diamond, yet made of nothing that Ami's tests had been able to figure  
out.  
  
Ami brushed the sphere with a fingertip, and watched as a spark of  
blue ignited in the depths of the orb, swirling to become a miniature  
blizzard of blue lights.  
  
A year ago, she had found it buried to the hilt in one of her  
redwood trees. Angry and annoyed, she had reached to pull it out...  
  
'And that's when my life became a frozen Hell,' Ami thought.  
  
She touched the hilt, let her fingers curl around it, and picked  
the knife up. Her hands were shaking. Holding the knife in her right  
hand, she carefully pressed the point into the palm of her left.  
Gritting her teeth, she applied pressure.  
  
Someone pounded on the door to her office.  
  
Ami swore and yanked the knife away, a single drop of red staining  
the tip. "Who's there?" she called out hoarsely.  
  
"Who the Hell do you think it is?" Makoto bellowed.  
  
Ami laughed nervously. "I don't think you want to know." She  
stood, slipping the knife into her lab coat, and flexed her left  
hand, fingers stiffening as cold radiated from the pinprick in her  
palm. She opened the door.  
  
Makoto shouldered past her, and flopped into Ami's desk chair.  
"Got anything to drink?"  
  
Ami closed the door and flexed her fingers again. "Not here, no.  
But I suppose I can get one of my aides to bring you some water or  
tea."  
  
Makoto glared at Ami. She laughed sourly and slumped, "Damn, I  
knew I should've raided Rei-chan's bar before coming over here.  
Probably would've taught her a lesson, too."  
  
Ami stopped massaging her wrist. "What do you mean? What  
happened?"  
  
Makoto stretched. "Nothing. Rei-chan just pissed me off, that's  
all." She grunted painfully, and gingerly explored her left shoulder.  
"Urgh. Feels like I pulled something. Care to check it out for me,  
Doc?"  
  
Ami moved to stand behind Makoto, shaking her left hand as she  
walked. "Sit up." Makoto obliged, and Ami carefully felt along  
Makoto's shoulders. Finding a patch of knotted muscle along the left  
shoulder blade, Ami set to work smoothing it out.  
  
'It would be easy to kill her right now,' one part of Ami's mind  
said.  
  
Ami frowned. 'Shut up. You're not me.'  
  
'But she knows. You know she knows. She knows you know she knows.  
Kill her.' She could almost feel the knife's presence, weighting down  
her lab coat. It's awareness pulsed and grew in her mind, in sync  
with the muted throbbing of her left hand.  
  
"Shut up," Ami hissed.  
  
"Did you say something?" Makoto asked.  
  
"I'm just talking to myself. You know, giving myself a little  
verbal reminder of something I need to take care of later."  
  
"Huh. Don't let Minako-chan catch you doing that. She thinks that  
people that talk to themselves are crazy."  
  
The voice in her mind sniggered. Ami thrust it as deep into her  
unconciousness as she possibly could, but she could still hear the  
echoes. 'I have to get out of here,' Ami thought despretly. 'I have  
to get out before I hurt somebody.'  
  
A clear black panel set into the top of Ami's desk chimed softly,  
and a yellow light flashed. Makoto glanced at it. "Your desk is  
making noise, Ami-chan. You should fix that."  
  
Ami took her hands off of Makoto's shoulders and the laughter in  
her head turned into a sigh of dissapointment. She swallowed and said  
as calmly as possible, "Just because you don't use the holographic  
system doesn't mean I don't have to. Computer?"  
  
"Yes, Doctor Mizuno?" A male voice answered from nowhere.  
  
Makoto grinned up at Ami. "Ami-chan... I didn't know you had your  
boyfriend programmed as your computer's voice. And here I thought you  
had forgotten all about him."  
  
Ami blushed. "You leave Urawa-kun out of this." Makoto smirked.  
Ami cleared her throat. "Answer the call, computer."  
  
The yellow light cut off, and the panel turned a soft green. The  
sound of static filled the room.  
  
Makoto frowned, "What the?"  
  
Ami sighed, "Minako-chan must be trying to use the system."  
  
Minako's voice broke through the static. "How...hell...use this  
damn...? Maybe...red...button..." Something exploded in the  
background.  
  
They both winced. "Yeah," Makoto said, "That's definitly  
Minako-chan."  
  
Eventually the static faded and a miniture green Minako hologram  
stood on the panel. Wisps of holographic smoke drifted up from her  
clothes. "Can you guys hear me now?"  
  
"Yes, Minako-chan," Ami said. "Um... are you okay?"  
  
"I'm peachy, Ami-chan, thanks for asking. But I swear that there's  
something wrong with this terminal thingy of yours. Is it supposed to  
be spewing smoke and sparks all over the place?"  
  
"I'll... I'll have somebody take a look at it," Ami said faintly.  
  
"Cool. Spiffy, even. Hey, can the two of you beat feet to my  
office? I gotta talk to ya'll."  
  
Makoto saved Ami from trying to answer. "Sure thing, Minako-chan.  
We'll be there in a few minutes."  
  
Minako smiled brightly. "Keen! I'll see ya then. Now... how do you  
turn this blasted thing off? Maybe it's this-" The small hologram  
suddenly vanished admist holographic smoke and flames. The display  
cut off.  
  
Makoto leaned back and looked up at Ami. "Isn't Minako-chan's  
terminal entirely voice-activated?"  
  
Ami closed her eyes, and the voice giggled with glee.  
  
  
Terri clung tightly to Shouji's back as the snowmobile crested, and  
hopped, a small hill. She grunted as they landed and came to a stop.  
  
"You okay back there?" Shouji's voice came from the headset she  
had on underneath her helmet. He glanced over his shoulder at her.  
  
She shifted position, and gave him a gloved thumbs-up.  
  
Kiyomi appeared to their left. She coasted to a stop and looked at  
them. "Have you two lovebirds checked out the sky to the west?"  
  
Shouji and Terri turned, and Terri made a sound of dismay. "Look  
at those clouds. It's gonna storm soon."  
  
Shouji nodded. "A fierce storm, from the looks of it." He looked  
at the others. "We need to seek shelter."  
  
"But we haven't scouted Ami's coordinates yet."  
  
Kiyomi said, "We won't be scouting anything if we freeze to  
death." She revved her engine. "The last time I was out here on a  
mission, we took shelter in a bunch of tunnels. They shouldn't be too  
far from here."  
  
"Do you remember the way there?" Shouji asked.  
  
Thanks to the helmets, Terri couldn't see if Kiyomi was grinning,  
but she could easily hear it in Kiyomi's voice. "We'll find out,  
won't we?" She shot off, Shouji and Terri trailing behind.  
  
Luckily for them, Kiyomi did remember. They drove the snowmobiles  
into a huge hole set in the side of a snowbank just as the first few  
cannonballs of hail shattered in the snow behind them.  
  
Shouji looked around. "This looks like an old subway tunnel."  
  
"It is." Kiyomi pulled her helmet off and took a deep breath. "The  
air smells wierd, but I think we'll be okay." She shut off her  
snowmobile and stretched.  
  
Terri dismounted, pulling off her own helmet as she walked closer  
to the entrance. She frowned.  
  
Outside, balls of hail easily the size of her head continued to  
rain down, crashing into tunnel's ceiling high overhead, making the  
air vibrate with the concussive noise. If it kept up at this pace,  
Terri figured that the tunnel might collapse.  
  
"Hey, Terri," Kiyomi said behind her. "You wanna maybe help us  
with the snowmobiles?"  
  
Terri ignored her, peering out into storm, looking for something.  
  
Kiyomi grabbed her arm. "Earth to Terri. Anybody home?" Kiyomi  
looked at her intently, then said quietly, "What's wrong, Terri?"  
  
"This storm isn't natural," Terri said softly. "Somebody's  
creating it." She looked at Kiyomi, then turned to include Shouji in  
her gaze. "We can't stay here."  
  
"Where else can we go?" Kiyomi asked, surprised. "If we head back  
out, we'll get our brains splattered all over the snow."  
  
"Then we'll go deeper into the tunnels," Shouji said calmly.  
  
"And when we get lost? The last time I was here, my group stayed  
right here till the storm was over. There's no telling how deep these  
tunnels go. And we've only got enough food for three days. Two, if  
you count the fact that Shouji eats like a pig. And I don't exactly  
relish the idea of *carrying* our supplies, since the snowmobiles  
won't work on the old train rails."  
  
Terri smiled at Kiyomi, "Geez, Kiyomi. It sounds like you're  
actually afraid of these tunnels."  
  
Kiyomi wasn't smiling. "I am. When I was younger, I got my star  
seed stolen while down here."  
  
Terri flushed and looked away, "I-I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be. Galaxia's attacks weren't your fault." She released  
Terri and went over to her snowmobile. Unstrapping the bag on the  
side, she flashed Terri a strained smile. "Well, don't just stand  
there. If we're going to be doing this, we might as well get going."  
  
  
Rei decided that one day, when Minako was nowhere in the area, she  
was going to break into Minako's office and redecorate it.  
  
It wasn't that Minako's office was ugly. After all, her office had  
been built from the same blueprint as everbody else's, which meant  
four walls, a strange color for the carpet that Rei had never heard  
of, but reminded her teal-green puke, and a very nice faux-mohagany  
desk that was currently smouldering (Rei was afraid to ask why.).  
  
But it was the bookshelves that drove Rei nuts.  
  
Normal people had books on their shelves. Minako had animals.  
Dozens and dozens of little stuffed animals that only Kami knew from  
where they had been collected. And whenever Minako went Kami only  
knew where, she'd always return with another one.  
  
Rei, Makoto, and Ami watched as Minako, perched on a chair,  
re-arranged several of the animals on one of the highest shelves to  
make room for something that looked like a cat crossed with a  
warthog.  
  
Rei asked the question that was probably on her friends' minds.  
"You didn't call us down here just so we can watch you put that...  
thing... up there, did you Minako-chan?"  
  
Minako shot Rei a look. "No, Rei-chan. I wouldn't do something as  
pointless as that." She gave the cathog a final push and nodded in  
satisfaction. "I've been checking out the outposts near the Barrier,  
y'know, to give the people we've got there kind of a morale boost. I  
want you to double the number of people stationed there, Ami-chan."  
  
Ami sat in the other chair. She massaged her left hand with her  
right as she asked, "Double them? For what purpose?"  
  
Minako hopped down and went to lean against her desk. She folded  
her arms. "The Senshi are up to something."  
  
"That is probably the stupidest statement I've heard all day," Rei  
remarked. "We *all* know the Senshi are up to something. They've been  
up to something since day one."  
  
"Shut up, Rei-chan," Minako said angrily.  
  
"Can we *please* go one hour with arguing?" Makoto asked wearily.  
  
Rei folded her arms and gave Minako a scathing look. "I'll stop  
when Minako stops acting so immature." She smirked at the furious  
glare Minako shot her.  
  
Ami interrupted Minako's retort, "We're here to talk about the  
Senshi, remember?"  
  
Minako stared hard at Rei. Anytime you want my job, Rei, just  
tell me. I'll be glad to dump all of this on you and take off. She  
turned towards Ami and they started discussing who to send to the  
outposts.  
  
Rei felt like she had been slapped. When had Minako learned  
telepathy?  
  
"We'll start evacuating in two weeks," Minako was saying. "All  
non-essential personnel first, along with those that are injured."  
  
"And where are we sending all of these people?" Makoto asked.  
  
"Oh... I don't know. Up north should be good enough."  
  
Rei straightened with a start. "Are you crazy, Minako-chan?"  
Makoto asked, looking as shocked as Rei felt. Strangly, Ami looked  
confused.  
  
Minako smiled, "Not as crazy as you guys think I am. Don't worry,  
I've checked the place out. It's clean."  
  
"But... the D-point?"  
  
"What better place to hide our people than in the one place not  
even a Senshi would dare go? I mean, heck, *we* don't even wanna go  
there!"  
  
Ami looked around. "I don't understand. What's so bad about the  
D-point?"  
  
Did Ami just ask what Rei thought she just asked?  
  
Rei joined the others in turning an incredoulous stare at Ami.  
"Did you-" Minako began.  
  
Ami shoved a hand into her lab coat's right pocket. Lights  
exploded in Rei's mind, and she fell to her hands and knees, suddenly  
weak.  
  
"You are truly incredible, Hino Rei. A lesser human would have  
died from such a powerful Mind Bomb, yet you haven't even lost  
conciousness. I had heard that your mental defenses were stronger  
than most, Rei, but, until now, I had not believed it."  
  
Drops of red appeared on the carpet, and she gingerly touched her  
mouth. When she pulled her hand away, her fingers were slick with  
blood.  
  
"Normally I would be upset with these circumstances. However, with  
your two companions out of the way, I find that I am enjoying  
myself."  
  
Rei looked up. Makoto slumped against the wall near the door,  
blood running from her nose and dripping onto her shirt. Minako lay  
on the floor in front of her desk, the faint rise and fall of her  
chest the only indication that she still lived.  
  
Ami still sat in her chair, running her thumb along the flat of a  
long knife. She smiled coldly at Rei. "So what gave me away, Rei? Was  
it my question about the D-point? I must admit that I was surprised  
when I realized that this vessel had actually managed to conceal  
information from me. And here I thought I had Ami under my complete  
control."  
  
"Ami-chan..." Rei said thickly. Needles of pain stabbed along her  
spine.  
  
"Or was it before? I seem to have noticed that you and your  
fellows have been watching what you say around Ami. Was that  
accidental, or did you warn them that something was unusual about  
Ami's behavior?"  
  
She stood and nudged Minako's body with a foot. "Or was it this  
one? Ami's memories seem to indicate that Minako has always had some  
sort of special intuition. Of course, I tend to call it extreme luck.  
Luck which is about to run out." She gestured and Minako rose to her  
feet, jerked upwards by unseen strings.  
  
Rei struggled to stand and failed. "Stop... it..."  
  
Ami looked down at her. "Or what? You'll punish me in the name of  
the Moon? Ah, but isn't the person that originally started that  
phrase dead? Why is it that whenever your friends die, all you ever  
do is watch? Are you truly so craven that you won't help them?"  
  
Rei seethed. "YOU BI-"  
  
Ami pressed the knife blade to Minako's throat. A thin ribbon of  
red worked its way down her neck to join the rest staining her  
jacket. Minako grunted, and slowly opened her eyes, freezing in place  
as she felt the knife bite into her flesh.  
  
"Watch your tounge," Ami said harshly. "You are in the presence of  
a Lady." Suddenly she looked up, "What is it? Can you not see that I  
am busy?"  
  
Slowly, Ami smiled. "I see..." Her eyes refocused on Rei. "Well,  
it appears as though Minako's luck will see all of you through for  
one more day. Since this vessel is now worthless, I shall leave her  
with you."  
  
She pulled the knife away. Blue light flared, and a crystal set in  
the pommel shattered. Ami's eyes rolled up to the whites, blood  
abrubtly gushed from her nose, and she would have collapsed had  
Minako not caught her.  
  
Rei managed to stand, bracing herself against the wall.  
"Minako-chan? You... okay?"  
  
Minako carefully lay Ami down, and sat down next to her. She put a  
hand to her throat and winced. "I think so. But I'll feel better when  
you tell me what just happened."  
  
A soft chime. Minako looked at Rei, and said wearily, "Computer,  
answer. Audio only."  
  
"This is Robert, reporting back from a scouting run. I just  
spotted a big mess of CTDF Enforcers headed our way."  
  
"Where and how long?"  
  
"They're coming in from the west. They'll be here in about an  
hour."  
  
"Thank you, Robert. Get some rest and report to my office in half  
an hour. End conversation." She smiled weakly at Rei. "You still want  
my job?"  
  
Rei sighed heavily. "If we get out of this alive, I'll answer  
you."  
  
  
Shouji stopped and lifted his flare high above his head. "Listen."  
  
Terri looked up at the shadowed ceiling, high over their heads.  
"It's stopped hailing." She looked at him. "Think we should try to go  
back?"  
  
"No point," Kiyomi said over her shoulder. "Even if we could dig  
our way through that collapsed tunnel, our snowmobiles are buried  
under a ton of rock. We've got no choice but to keep going."  
  
"Then we should at least take a break. We've been walking for  
hours."  
  
"I want to make the most of our flares... while we've still got  
them." Kiyomi stalked off.  
  
"But Kiyomi-" Shouji grabbed Terri's arm and shook his head. Terri  
sighed heavily. "We can't let her go off on her own."  
  
"Then talk to her," Shouji said, "I'll stay here and fix us  
something to eat. Don't get lost."  
  
"Same to you." She slipped her pack off, let it fall to the  
ground, and jogged off after Kiyomi's retreating back, the light from  
her flare making her shadow lurch along the ground.  
  
She caught up to Kiyomi easily, and fell in step alongside her.  
They walked in silence, careful to avoid the edge of the cement that  
marked the border between their elevated pathway and a steep drop  
down to the old railways below. They passed the occasional side  
tunnel, circles of blackness leading to only God knew where. Kiyomi  
never even looked at them; she was too intent on her destination.  
  
Terri was worrying about how far they were going when Kiyomi  
veered away from the walkway and went to stand at the edge. Terri  
joined her in looking down at the railway floor, their flares  
reflecting dully off of what remained of the tracks.  
  
Terri closed her eyes. 'A truly devoted person will stand by their  
friends,' Makoto had told her, 'A friend, that is a true friend, will  
always do her utmost to be there for those who need her.' Then Makoto  
had smiled sadly at her. 'But, don't get it in your head that you can  
be everyone's friend, or that you can help all of those that you call  
your friend. There are times when, no matter how hard you try, you  
won't be able to help them. It's knowing the difference between those  
you can help and those you can't that will make you stronger. That's  
your fourth lesson.'  
  
"I used to idolize people like Michelle Kwan," Kiyomi said and  
Terri looked at her. "She, and Tara Lapinski and Irina Slutskaya and  
Midori Ito and especially Surya Bonaly. I wanted be an ice skater,  
like they were. Well, maybe not like Tara Lapinski. I never did like  
her after that Campbell's soup commercial." A faint smile appeared.  
"I wanted to marry Elvis Stojko, and raise young Todd Eldredge's."  
She looked at Terri. "Does any of that make sense?"  
  
"Well... if you overlook the fact I don't know who any of those  
people are... Sure."  
  
Kiyomi nodded. "I was born in Japan, but I moved with my father to  
America after my mother died. Dad did everything he could to help me  
realize my dream. He bought me my first pair of ice skates, got me a  
coach, he even took time out of his job to watch me practice.  
Practice!" She laughed bitterly. "Ah, God, I miss those days."  
  
Terri was afraid to ask, but she had to. "What happened?"  
  
"I was back here in Tokyo, visiting relatives. I was taking a  
train to the district where my grandmother lived." She looked down  
the tracks, staring at something Terri couldn't see. "We were in a  
tunnel when the train stopped. The power just... cut off. At first,  
it didn't seem that bad. Then the emergency lights cut off, too.  
  
"And then the *noise* started. Scratching on the roof of the car.  
Tearing at the metal. Trying to get in. It was horrible."  
  
Trapped in absolute darkness while something tried to claw its way  
into the passenger car. Terri shuddered and rubbed her arms, feeling  
goose bumps rise underneath her clothing.  
  
Kiyomi, too, shivered. "I didn't see when it fell in. All I could  
do was hear, and hearing was bad enough. People screaming, trying to  
get away from only God knows what, slamming into other people. I  
think the guy next to me fell down and got trampled. I don't know.  
All I remember is when I realized that IT was in front of me."  
  
Kiyomi's shaking was getting worse. In the harsh light of the  
flares, with half of her in shadow, she looked fragile and  
indistinct. 'Something's going to happen to her,' Terri thought with  
a sudden, sickening certanity. She put an arm around Kiyomi's  
shoulders, as much to comfort Kiyomi as to reassure herself that  
Kiyomi was still there, still alive. She said softly, "You don't have  
to do this, Kiyomi."  
  
If Kiyomi heard her, she gave no sign. "IT touched me. Here." She  
tapped a finger against her chest, directly between her breasts. "And  
then all I knew was pain. And IT was holding something. I found out  
later IT had taken my star seed. But I didn't know that then. All I  
knew was that there was a monster above me and I was gonna die. I  
think I passed out then."  
  
She took a deep breath, expelled it violently, and her shaking  
eased slightly. "I woke up in a hospital. I was fine, completly  
uninjured. But I didn't wanna ice skate anymore. When that... that  
thing... had taken out my star seed, IT took everything I wanted with  
it. All IT left was fear. Fear and pain."  
  
She laughed, a ghastly sound that seemed more like a sob. "I can't  
even sleep at night without a light on. Everytime it gets dark, I  
think IT's there, waiting for me to let my guard down so IT can  
finish IT's job. Can you believe it? I'm twenty-four and *afraid* of  
the dark!" Kiyomi looked close to a complete breakdown. Terri took  
her hand, and grunted painfully as Kiyomi crushed her fingers  
tightly.  
  
"And, if I recall correctly, it is precisily because of that  
phobia that the Re-education never took hold with you, Kiyomi." Terri  
and Kiyomi stiffened. They spun to look behind them. For the first  
time, Terri noticed that her breath was misting in the air.  
  
"Your fear simply grew stronger in the Re-education chambers,  
which is reasonable given that they are, in essence, sensory  
deprivation chambers. I suppose the total lack of light the chamber  
submits you to was simply too much for your conciousness to handle. I  
wonder how long you would retain your sanity if deprived of all  
light."  
  
They were surrounded by Enforcers, their black uniforms all but  
blending into the shadows. Mercury, accompanied by one of Her  
Priestesses, smiled coldly. She lifted Her hands, pressed the  
fingertips together in front of Her face, and a blue aura flared into  
existance around Her body.  
  
"NO!" Terri screamed and leaped at the Senshi. The Priestess  
moved, a hand swung out, and suddenly Terri was flying backwards. Her  
back struck the walkway, skidded, and then she was falling, Kiyomi's  
shrieks of pain chasing Terri down into darkness. 


	7. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
Chapter 7 -  
  
Shouji tugged at his boots, wiggling his toes to test the fit. The  
outfit was a little small, but it would work for the time being. He  
grinned and flipped down the black visor that would hide his eyes  
from the other Enforcers. As he did so, it glowed a brief green, and  
suddenly he could see every detail of the dark tunnel as clearly as  
if he were in daylight. 'I never thought I'd be wearing this get-up  
again.'  
  
"Hey!" Someone called down. "Did you find him?"  
  
"No," Shouji said loudly. "He must have escaped."  
  
"Then come back up here. I think the others are getting ready to  
leave."  
  
"Right." Shouji glanced once more at the Enforcer he had knocked  
unconcious, then leaped up to grab the walkway overhead and hoisted  
himself up over the edge onto the concrete. The Enforcer that had  
called to him greeted him by tossing Shouji a long, black spear made  
entirely out of crystal. "C'mon, Kenneth. That Priestess is gonna be  
pissed if we don't get back soon."  
  
Shouji nodded and followed the man.  
  
It had been a stroke of blind luck that had saved Shouji from  
being caught. A few minutes ago he had climbed down to the railway  
floor to find a suitable spot to go about Nature's business, and the  
next thing he knew, an Enforcer (Shouji figured it was Kenneth) had  
practically dropped on top of him. The man had been fast, but Shouji  
was faster, and in the end Shouji had won himself a change of clothes  
and a chance to see what had happened to Terri and Kiyomi.  
  
They met up with what Shouji figured to be the main group a few  
minutes later. One of the group nodded in greeting to Shouji, and he  
returned the gesture as he looked around, counting heads.  
  
Including him, there were seven Enforcers. Four stood near a  
blue-robed Priestess, and two others guarded a pathetic looking  
creature that, with a shock, Shouji recognized as Kiyomi. The  
Enforcer that had mistaken him for Kenneth joined the other four.  
Shouji moved towards Kiyomi.  
  
"You. Kenneth." That voice did not belong to an Enforcer.  
  
Shouji froze, then slowly turned around. How could he have missed  
seeing Her, of all people?  
  
Mercury fixed him with a steely blue gaze. "You found no sign of  
their male companion?"  
  
Shouji straightened automatically, "None." He quickly added, "My  
Lady."  
  
Mercury nodded absently. "Then help out the others. I wish to  
leave."  
  
Shouji saluted, fist to heart, and barely restrained his sigh of  
relief. He walked over to Kiyomi.  
  
As he reached her, an eigth Enforcer hauled himself up and over  
the edge of the walkway, an unconcious Terri in tow. He dumped her on  
the ground. "Found her, Lady Mercury."  
  
Mercury told Her Priestess, "Take them back to the Odyssey. I have  
more pressing matters to attend to at this time."  
  
The Priestess nodded, and Mercury vanished.  
  
The Priestess glared at them all. "Well, don't just stand there!  
Let's go!" She pointed to Shouji. "You! Bring that sniviling little  
bitch. If she can't keep up, then leave her behind. As for the rest  
of you: Move your lazy asses!"  
  
Grumbling, the Enforcers trudged off, one of them carrying Terri  
over one of his shoulders.  
  
Shouji looked down at Kiyomi, and bent to grab her arm. "Come on,  
Kiyomi," he said quietly.  
  
At his touch, Kiyomi's eyes snapped open. One hand lifted, and,  
lightining swift, she clawed at his face with her nails, shrieking  
wordlessly. Shouji made a grab for her wrist, missed, and she raked a  
long, bloody furrow along the left side of his jaw before he managed  
to catch both of her hands.  
  
He was suddenly aware that the others were watching them.  
"Kiyomi!" he growled in a whisper, although he doubted if anyone  
could hear him over her screaming. "Damn it, woman, get ahold of  
yourself!"  
  
Kiyomi, however, did hear him. She blinked rapidly several times,  
and some of the hysteria left her face. "Shouji?"  
  
"What is taking you so long?" The Priestess shouted at him. "Just  
knock her out and let's go!"  
  
Shouji pulled her to her feet. "They think I'm one of them. Just  
keep it down and act scared."  
  
She giggled hysterically. "Oh, I don't have to act." She took a  
few steps forward and stopped. "Oh God, it's so *dark*!"  
  
Shouji gently grabbed her elbow and guided her after the others.  
"Sorry. I forgot you're not wearing a Night Visor," he said  
sotto-voce.  
  
She tripped, caught herself, and attached herself to his arm.  
"Yeah... well... I guess I'm sorry for scratching you. I did scratch  
you, right?" She fumbled for his face, and he winced as her fingers  
pressed against the cuts. "Okay," she said softly, "Maybe I more than  
scratched you."  
  
"Maybe. What happened?"  
  
"Terri and I were talking about..." She shuddered. "Well, we were  
talking. And then that Senshi and her cronies showed up. Mercury did  
some flashy thing and... that's all I remember up until I attacked  
you." She gasped. "Oh my God! Where is Terri?"  
  
"Quiet!" he snarled, noticing that some of the Enforcers were  
looking back curiously. "Damn it, don't you ever shut up?"  
  
The others laughed and went back to talking amongst themselves.  
  
Shouji sighed. "Let's try *not* to get caught, okay Kiyomi?"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"One of the other Enforcers is carrying her. She doesn't look to  
good. What happened to her?"  
  
"I don't know... It all happened so fast..."  
  
"Nevermind, then."  
  
"Shouji? What's going to happen to us?"  
  
"I don't know, Kiyomi, but I've got a real bad feeling."  
  
  
Minako pushed the box away with a weary sigh. Placing her elbows on  
her desk, she buried her face in her hands, wisps of hair sticking  
out between her fingers. For the first time in a millenia, she was  
feeling her age. "Tell me again how you found it?"  
  
"When I took Ami-chan back to her room, I noticed that the place  
reeked, like something had died in there. Which, I guess, is true  
enough."  
  
Through her fingers, Minako watched Makoto give the box a  
disgusted look.  
  
"Anyway," Makoto said, "I searched around and found it in her  
closet, hidden underneath a trap door she had built into the floor.  
  
"And that's not the only one I found, either, only the most  
identifiable one. The others were so badly mutilated that I could  
only hope they were dead before Ami... before Mercury did what she  
did to them."  
  
Minako lowered her hands. "Were any of them-"  
  
"No," Makoto said firmly. "None of them were human."  
  
Minako nodded, relieved. "Then bury them. Or burn them. I don't  
care, just get rid of them." She rubbed her forehead. "How's evac  
prep going?"  
  
Makoto winced.  
  
Minako looked at her, surprised. "That badly? Why?"  
  
"You seriously can't expect five hundred people to be ready to  
evacuate in under an hour, Minako-chan. Don't you remember what  
happened at Watabe?"  
  
"Ugh... You had to remind me, didn't you?"  
  
"Same situation, twice as many people. Frankly, I'd be surprised  
if we managed to get half of our non-essetials out of here before  
that tidal wave hits us. If we had more time..."  
  
"How the hell are we supposed to get more..." She trailed off,  
eyes widening in revelation. "Kami-sama, how could I have missed it?"  
  
Makoto blinked. "What's 'it?'"  
  
Minako ignored her and stood up. "Mako-chan, I need twenty-five,  
no, fifty volunteers. Make sure none of them have families or strong  
emotional ties to life."  
  
"Minako-chan..."  
  
"Go to Ami-chan's lab and find that assistant of hers, Jesus or  
Emilio or whatever the heck his name is. Tell him I need to borrow  
Ami-chan's TMD Amp prototype. And announce that I want the first  
level and the Ark cleared in fifteen minutes. *Completely* cleared,  
got that? Send the people to the Catacombs. Anybody that argues won't  
be evacuated."  
  
"Minako-chan, calm down! What are you talking-"  
  
"Can you work the Gate by yourself?"  
  
Makoto was caught off guard. "I... um... I think I can. But why?  
Where will you-"  
  
"Great! Now I'm going to need-" Minako stopped in mid-sentence as  
a column of fire erupted into existance near her door, out of which  
appeared Rei. The fire vanished.  
  
Makoto turned in her chair and smiled at Rei. "You know how to  
make an entrance, don't you?"  
  
"It's a talent." Rei's own smile faded and she looked at Minako.  
"We've got a problem."  
  
"Hold that thought, Rei-chan." She said to Makoto, "Did you get  
everything I told you?"  
  
Makoto shrugged. "I guess I did. That still doesn't explain what  
you're going to be doing."  
  
"I'm going to buy us time." To Rei, "Any sign of Terri-chan?"  
  
Rei produced a sheet of paper. "That's the problem." She handed it  
to Minako. Minako read it silently. Her eyes widened. She read it  
again. "Oh, Kami, why now?" she whispered, stunned.  
  
Makoto stood and plucked the paper out of Minako's hands. "What is  
it?" Her eyes scanned the page, and her expression became one of  
stunned disbelief. "They went *WHERE*?!"  
  
Rei said, "To scout out some coordinates given to them by  
Ami-chan. Or should I say Mercury? Those coordinates look familiar,  
don't they?"  
  
Minako paused in the act of sitting down. "Now that you mention  
it, they do." She sat and looked at Rei. "Why?"  
  
"I checked with Robert's report. Those cooridnates are around the  
area where Robert had spotted the CTDF force."  
  
'Must stay calm... Must... stay... calm...' Minako closed her  
eyes. "Can you reach her from this distance, Rei-chan?"  
  
"Don't you think I've tried?" Rei said, irritated. "Somebody  
blocked me."  
  
Minako felt a fierce headache coming on. "Mars?"  
  
"She's the only one capable of blocking me."  
  
"Shit!" Makoto shouted. "What are we sitting around here for?  
We've got to go rescue her before she's caught!"  
  
From Rei, "My thoughts exactly, Mako-chan. If I take ten people  
with me, we can hit 'em hard before they've got a clue about what's  
going on, and we can get Terri-chan out before Mercury and Mars can  
regroup. They won't expect a head-on attack so soon."  
  
"I'll go with you. I'm gonna kick Mercury's ass for messing with  
Ami-chan like that. You coming, Minako-chan?"  
  
Minako took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "None of us are  
going anywhere."  
  
Makoto, standing now, and Rei both whirled in her direction. Rei's  
eyes narrowed angrily. "What did you just say?"  
  
"I said no," Minako answered calmly. "The only reason why Mercury  
would consider Ami-chan worthless, and give up her best chance in a  
thousand years to kill us, would be if she no longer considered us to  
be a threat. The only way *that* could happen is if she has, or very  
soon will have, our secret weapon, that is, Terri-chan. And I'm  
willing to bet that she does.  
  
"Mercury wants to draw us away from the base, divide us if she  
can, so either she or Mars can tear us apart. She's already put  
Ami-chan out of commission, and I don't intend to give her the chance  
to do the same to us."  
  
Minako looked hard at them both. "Besides, Venus is near, and I  
have *no* intention of letting her come near these people. We all  
know what Venus'll do."  
  
She saw a surprised, then a thoughtful look cross Makoto's face.  
Rei, too, looked surprise. And then the true meaning of Minako's  
words sank in, and she went crimson with rage.  
  
"So you're just going to leave Terri-chan out there? You're not  
even going to *try*?! Minako, we have spent close to three hundred  
years on this project, and if you think I'm crazy enough to let you  
let it all go to Hell, then you're not just insane, you're frickin'  
MAD!"  
  
Minako stood slowly, facing Rei's wrath directly. Her voice was  
deceptivly mild. "Are you challenging my authority on this matter,  
Hino Rei?"  
  
Rei was taken aback, but she countered quickly enough. "Hell, yes,  
I'm questioning your authority! What right do you-"  
  
"I have every right, Rei! I'm your *leader!* And I'm not about to  
allow a suicide mission against the Senshi just to rescue three  
people. We have an obligation to get our allies out of this place  
alive, and if you're not going to help me fufill it then I will have  
you confined to your room until evac begins! Now, you are going to  
leave my office, find Ami-chan, and do your damn best to make her  
sane again and I'm not going to hear anything else about this. HAVE I  
MADE MYSELF CLEAR?!"  
  
Minako realized she was screaming at the top of her lungs. Makoto  
was staring at her in open-mouthed shock. Rei looked as though  
someone had dropped a piano on her, but Minako knew that, any moment,  
Rei would work herself into such a righteous wrath that there would  
be no stopping her. Minako's headache suddenly seemed well on its way  
to turning into a migrane. She sat down hard, rubbing her temples.  
  
"Minako-chan..." Makoto begin.  
  
Minako cut her off with a sharp gesture. "I don't have anything  
else to say to either of you. You have your orders; you're  
dismissed."  
  
  
Fuming, Rei took a step towards Minako. Makoto moved quickly,  
grabbing Rei's arms and bodily dragging her out to the hall.  
  
Once the door closed, Makoto released Rei and started to walk  
away. "She has a point, y'know."  
  
Rei shot Minako's door one more glare, then started after the  
taller woman. "What the Hell do you mean? You don't actually *agree*  
with her, do you?"  
  
"Of course not," Makoto said calmly. "You know I've never been  
comfortable abandoning people. But," she lifted a finger to silence  
Rei's protests, "that doesn't mean I'm going to go against  
Minako-chan's orders. Not anymore, at least. And the reason why I  
won't is because I trust Minako-chan. I trust her plan, I trust her  
logic, but most of all I trust her as a person. I may not agree with  
her all the time, but, damn it, she knows what's going on better than  
I do. So if she says we can't afford to rescue Terri-chan now, then I  
believe that she's right... which is more than I can say about you."  
  
Rei scowled, "I still don't like this."  
  
"Imagine how she must feel, Rei-chan. To us, Terri-chan's just a  
person, our student, and possibly a friend. But she's Minako-chan's  
only living relative."  
  
"They're not related, Mako-chan."  
  
Makoto stopped in front of an elevator and pushed a button. "So  
what? It is true Terri-chan is Minako-chan's God-daughter, but  
family, whether related by blood or not, is still family.  
  
"If your best friend's, and sister's, daughter was in trouble and  
you knew that you couldn't do anything how would you feel, Rei-chan?"  
  
"Furious," Rei said immmediatly. She glared up at Makoto, "And  
I've got no doubt that Minako-chan's furious, but *I* wouldn't be  
sitting around on my ass doing nothing. I would go out there and  
rescue her."  
  
The elevator pinged and the doors slid open. Makoto smiled sadly  
as she stepped into the cab and pushed a button. "And that's why  
neither of us are the leader, Rei-chan. Not only do we lack  
perspective, but you and I never got over the guilt of failing a  
child that never existed."  
  
"Chibi-Usa-chan..." Rei whispered.  
  
The doors slid shut, leaving Rei alone.  
  
  
Kiyomi's foot caught on something she couldn't see and she fell  
heavily, brusing her knees on the concrete. "Shimatta..."  
  
Shouji was there immediatly. He grumbled something, she had heard  
a clatter, and then she was being lifted as easily as a feather.  
  
"What are you doing?" the Priestess shrilled. "I told you that if  
she couldn't walk, then you were to leave her!"  
  
Kiyomi cringed away from that voice, but Shouji's chest rumbled  
with his angry reply. "You said that if she couldn't keep up I was to  
leave her. If I carry her then she'll be able to keep up easily."  
  
"You dare defy me?!"  
  
"Lady Mercury told us to bring them, 'them' being plural. If you  
wanna leave this one behind, then you can have the pleasure of  
explaining to our Lady why we brought back only one person."  
  
Someone made a comment about "Kenneth" being overly protective of  
Kiyomi and another remarked about "sharing." Kiyomi buried her face  
in Shouji's chest and tried to tune them out.  
  
Wind swirled through the air, catching strands of Kiyomi's hair  
and blowing it about her face. The air was growing bitterly cold, and  
Kiyomi could feel occasional flakes of snow landing on her face and  
hands. Kiyomi shuddered.  
  
She wanted, very badly, to crawl off somewhere and cry... or  
scream. Perferably scream and scream and scream and scream and...  
  
Kiyomi shuddered again, more violently this time. Shouji shifted  
her slightly, so that he was cradling her rather than carrying her.  
"It's okay, Kiyomi..."  
  
He knew about her phobia, the intense fear that came over her in  
the dark, and it came as no surprise when he had pointed out that the  
tunnels were getting brighter as they neared the entrance.  
  
What neither had planned on was Kiyomi's inability to see that  
light.  
  
'A dream,' Kiyomi thought dully. 'This all has to be a dream. I  
dreamed Mercury killed me, and for some reason I'm dreaming that I've  
been sent to Hell. I didn't know Hell was so black...' She wanted to  
laugh at the bleakness of her own thoughts, but something told her  
that laughing would be a very, very bad idea.  
  
She couldn't go crazy. She wanted to go crazy, because being crazy  
would mean that she wouldn't give a damn about what was going on, but  
she couldn't. Shouji had told her that once they reached their  
destination, he would do his best to find a way out. And that meant  
that Kiyomi had to watch the still unconcious Terri.  
  
Of course, "watch" was probably the wrong word for this situation.  
  
"Holy crap," Shouji said. He stopped walking. More snow and wind  
whirled around them. They must be outside, Kiyomi realized.  
  
Kiyomi started to look, and realized immediatly the futility of  
that action. She settled for asking, "What?"  
  
"It's a fortress... on skis."  
  
"That doesn't make sense." Of course it didn't make sense. This  
was a dream, and not all dreams made sense. She choked down a giggle.  
  
Shouji started walking again. "I know it doesn't make sense. But  
that's what it is: a fortress on skis. I don't remember there being  
something like this when I was an Enforcer."  
  
"I hate to sound cruel, Shouji, but I really don't care. I just...  
I... just..." She trailed off, shaking harder than ever.  
  
"Hey, remember what I said. Don't you dare freak out on me."  
  
She laughed sourly. "I wouldn't dream of it."  
  
  
"Kunzite? Isn't that some sort of element?"  
  
"You're thinking of Beryllium. Kunzite is a rock, sorta like  
malachite, but I think its more bluish or something like that."  
  
"Oh... and what does kunzite have to do with anything?"  
  
"You don't remem... the name doesn't ring any bells?"  
  
"Nope. Was it supposed to?"  
  
"Well... um... I dunno. Rei-chan just wanted me to ask you if the  
name meant something."  
  
"Why would it mean anything to me? And who's Rei and why are you  
asking strange questions for her?"  
  
"Oh! Rei-chan! Well, she's a friend of mine. You remember her,  
don't you, Terri-chan? The girl with the black hair? You met her a  
couple of weeks ago when I gave you that tour of the university  
campus."  
  
"You mean Hino-san! I'm sorry, Minako-chan. I have a horrible  
memory for faces."  
  
"Eh, don't worry about it."  
  
"Okay, I won't. But... why did she want to know if a rock meant  
anything to me?"  
  
"You remind her of him."  
  
"Him? I thought kunzite was a rock."  
  
"Yeah, well, you see she used to date this football player from,  
uh, from... England! Yeah, he was from England. And his name was Kunz  
something or other, but everybody called him 'the Rock.' So, y'know,  
she called him Kunzite. As a nickname. Kunzite. Heh."  
  
"Oh... You still haven't told me what that has to do with me."  
  
"She thought, um, well, you know, if you two could be related,  
since you look a lot like Kunzite does... did. You look like he did."  
  
"Hm... well, I wouldn't know. I doubt if we are, though. I mean,  
what are the odds of me being related to some guy named Kunzite?  
Pretty small, I think. Don't you?"  
  
"Yeah... small..."  
  
"Minako-chan?" 


	8. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
Chapter 8 -  
  
Terri stood on the rooftop of the women's dormitory in Crystal  
Tokyo's University. This close to the Barrier the air was colder, and  
she was glad that she wore a thick jacket over her gray school  
uniform.  
  
She looked southward, towards the heart of Crystal Tokyo, where  
the eerily beautiful Crystal Palace stood, prism walls painted red by  
the setting sun.  
  
Kiyomi stood next to her, black and blue skisuit stained red from  
the blood dripping slowly from her empty eye sockets, crimson tears  
streaking her face. She said, "How does one live life? Is it done by  
living? Or by dying? Are a person's deeds remembered from one life to  
the next?"  
  
Shouji was on Terri's other side, legs folded in the lotus style,  
eyes closed, calmly floating two meters above the rooftop. He, too,  
was still dressed in his ski suit. "The fat man walks alone," Shouji  
intoned solemnly.  
  
Terri looked at him, baffled.  
  
Kiyomi gestured to the distant palace. "The Senshi are the epitomy  
of contradictions. On the one hand, They've given the citizens of  
Crystal Tokyo the perfect existance by coming off as a bunch of  
all-knowing, omniscent dieties and controlling every facet of the  
public's life, which works since, thanks to the Senshi's mental  
tamperings, nobody even knows what they're missing."  
  
"Lazy man works twice," Shouji stated.  
  
Terri glanced at him, and discovered that he was now bald and  
dressed in the robes of a Shaolin monk. "Um..."  
  
Kiyomi ignored them both, continuing on, "On the other paw, the  
Senshi are the embodiment of power, and therefore corrupt, for  
absolute power corrupts, and power corrupts absolutly. And this  
corruption bleeds off to the public, thanks to the Senshi using Their  
power on the public and infecting all the mindless drones."  
  
Kiyomi paused, and Terri looked at Shouji, expecting the  
mechanic/monk to say something zen-like. Shouji tilted his head to  
one side, frowned. "We're on a journey. Travelers in life. Crossing  
into the unknown."  
  
Terri blinked. "What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Troubled by my words? Enlightment is coming soon. Patience,  
Grasshopper," was his answer.  
  
"But, as I have clearly seen," Kiyomi made an odd gesture, passing  
a hand in front of her face. "The Senshi thrive off of perverse acts.  
Mercury's diabolical human experiments, Jupiter's twisted  
interpretations of Truth and Justice, Mars's insanity-inducing mind  
games, and Venus's obscene compulsions to keep her the focus of  
everyone's attentions. It's gross, disgusting, evil, and it needs to  
be stopped."  
  
Shouji said, "One death is a tragedy. A thousand is a statistic."  
  
Terri looked at Kiyomi. "Let me guess: This is where I come in,  
right?"  
  
Shouji smiled again. "The one thing that doesn't abide by majority  
rule is a person's concience."  
  
Kiyomi glanced at the red spires. Although the sun had set minutes  
ago, the Palace pulsed rhythmically, vermillion light bathing the  
city in a bloody haze, making the building seem a heart in truth.  
  
"Terri, do you think the Senshi are evil?"  
  
Terri was surprised. "Evil? Of course They're evil, Kiyomi! Look  
what They did to the people of Crystal Tokyo. Hells, look what They  
did to you! How can you believe They're anything other than evil?"  
  
Kiyomi looked at Terri. "Who's talking? You or Minako?"  
  
"W-what?"  
  
"Who's talking? Who's the one that gave you that idea? Until  
recently, you yourself was a citizen of Crystal Tokyo. Did you  
believe the Senshi were evil, then?"  
  
"Well, no... But that's because They had me under Their control. I  
didn't know the truth until the Descendants rescued me."  
  
"And what is the truth? To the people of this city, the Senshi are  
the truth. To them, the Descendants are terrorists, heretics intent  
on destroying everything that these people love."  
  
"But, that's crazy. The Descendants are the bad guys. The Senshi  
are!" Terri hesitated. "Why are you telling me these things?"  
  
Kiyomi turned, put her back to Terri. "It's all a matter of  
perspective. The Senshi's perspective, the Descendant's perspective,  
your's... and hers."  
  
"Her?" Terri looked around, but nobody else had joined them.  
  
Shouji grinned at Terri. "Is there really a ghost in your shell,  
or are you just a pawn of the Ultimate Puppetmaster?"  
  
Kiyomi grabbed Terri's arm. "Too find yourself you must lose  
yourself."  
  
Shouji stood, and his Shaolin robes morphed into the orange of a  
Priest of Venus. He grabbed Terri's other arm. "The journey of a  
thousand miles starts with the first step."  
  
Terri looked at them, startled. "What are you guys doing?!"  
  
Kiyomi said, "Live this life like it's your last."  
  
Shouji said, "Because it just might be!"  
  
To her horror, Terri was shoved backwards, over the railing,  
plunging ten stories to the pavement below.  
  
  
Terri bolted upright and immediatly regretted the action when a small  
nuclear device went off inside off her skull. She rose to her knees  
and retched violently onto the floor, a fruitless effort since her  
stomach was empty.  
  
Only when the dry heaves had ceased and the fireworks behind her  
eyes had settled down did she try to figure out where she was.  
  
White on white met her gaze. Everywhere she turned she saw white.  
The floor, the ceiling, and even the walls were all the same, sterile  
lack of color. All of the surfaces were luminescent, providing her  
with light and ridding the room of every speck of darkness. The  
effect was incredibly disorienting, especially since the only thing  
in the room (she assumed she was in a room) was herself, and without  
her shadow it was harder to discover the dimensions of her prison.  
  
And prison it was, she had absoluetly no doubts about that. She  
stood slowly, careful to pause everytime the tympani drum in her  
skull threatened to become a gong. Trailing one hand along one wall,  
she started walking, intending to pace out the room's size. Five  
minutes later, she stopped frustrated, when she realized that the  
wall she was touching was either part of an exceptionally long  
corridor or curved in such a way to form a giant circle. And it  
didn't help her at all that, thanks to the decor, she no longer had  
an idea of where she had started.  
  
Sighing, she sank to the ground, leaning back against the wall. A  
glance at her watch proved that nearly two hours had passed since she  
and the others had taken refuge in the abadoned subway system. 'Okay,  
so I don't know where I am. I don't know where my friends are. And I  
have no way to contact Minako and the others. I need to find a way  
out of here.' Aloud, she growled, "And how the Hell am I supposed to  
lose myself, anyway?"  
  
"I'm glad to see you're awake, Terri. For a while I was afraid  
your fall had only made your concussion worse."  
  
Terri got to her feet, refusing to acknowledge her pain, and  
glared balefully at the blue-robed Priestess that was suddenly there,  
arms folded in an attitude of insolence. "Where are my friends?"  
  
"Kiyomi's safe enough; Mercury doesn't want her harmed anymore  
than she already is. As for your pal Shouji," She shrugged. "He's  
probably dead. And you know what? I'm not the least bit upset."  
  
Anger surged through Terri. "You'll pay for that."  
  
"Is that anyway to treat your friend, Terri?"  
  
"The day I call you my friend is the day a giant eagle rips out my  
liver."  
  
"It's good to see you haven't lost your imaginative wit."  
  
"What are you talking about? I've never met you!"  
  
The Priestess sighed. "How easily we forget," she murmured, and,  
reaching up, pushed back the hood of her robe.  
  
Terri's anger faded to shock. "Yoko?"  
  
"You look surprised," Yoko said dryly.  
  
"But... why? *How?* Kami-sama, Yoko, the last time I saw you, you  
were on trial for heresy! Why didn't they kill you?"  
  
Yoko's eyes glinted. "Mercury was kind enough to show me mercy. To  
show my eternal gratitude, I decided to devote my life to the  
Senshi's ideals, so I became a Priestess."  
  
The person that has been shown mercy is the person whose loyalty  
is bound to be unshakable. Terri's stomach, already unsettled,  
clenched into a tighter knot as Minako's words came back. "But...  
then... you've got to know that your dream was really the truth! The  
Senshi tampered with our memories."  
  
Yoko smiled. "You're only half right. The Senshi tampered with my  
memories, but They never touched yours. They never got the chance  
to."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Ask Hino Rei about why you can't remember parts of your life. You  
may discover that your amnesia is 'selective,' so to speak."  
  
Terri was taken aback. "I... Rei wouldn't..." Or would she?  
  
Terri shook her head, and used the resulting flares of pain to  
clear her mind. "That's not important now. Yoko, you know what's  
going on and you're going to allow it?"  
  
"Is there any reason why I shouldn't?"  
  
Terri was too stunned to come up with a decent answer.  
  
Yoko regarded Terri. "Terri, I'm disappointed. I thought you knew  
me well enough to know that I would never pass up such a delicious  
opprutunity at gaining power." She shook her head sadly. "I see  
you've fallen for the sterotype, too."  
  
"I... I don't understand."  
  
"Of course you don't. You've always been so blindly trusting, so  
willing to go along with whatever anyone says without even bothering  
to check their motives. It's why I've been able to manipulate you as  
much as I already have." She laughed loudly. "You are so gullible."  
  
Terri sank down slowly, anger forgotten, pain forgotten, leaving  
nothing but emptiness. Had everyone she had ever known used her?  
  
Brown hair, brown eyes, average height, average looks. Everything  
about Yoko had always been so utterly normal that many people had a  
difficult time believing that she was anything other than a normal  
University student.  
  
What was Yoko now?  
  
Yoko crouched down in front of Terri. "Oh, did I say something to  
make you upset, Terri? I'd apologize but, you know, I can't."  
  
"Why are you doing this?"  
  
"Why do anything? For power, of course. The Senshi have it, and  
I'm going to take it from Them. Nobody'll ever call me a 'powerless  
runt' again." Her smile was predatory. "And you, as you always have,  
figure prominently in my plan for power."  
  
"Screw your plan. I won't let you use me!"  
  
"Not even if I could get you and your friend out of here alive?"  
  
Terri looked off to one side, fuming in silence.  
  
"Think about it, Terri. What other choice do you have? Just work  
with me, do what I say, and I'll take care of everything else. Then,  
when my plan's done, I'll make you my right hand woman. We'll rule  
Crystal Tokyo!"  
  
Terri's hands clenched. "No... I won't do it!" She glared at Yoko.  
"Nobody uses me!"  
  
Yoko smirked. "People use people, Terri, and you're used more than  
most. Face it, you can't go a single day without somebody thinking  
what a great stooge you'd make." She smiled possesivly, gently  
brushed a few strands of hair out of Terri's face. Her voice  
softened. "But now... now you're all mine and nobody else is going to  
have you."  
  
Terri pulled away angrily. "The Yoko I know would never say such  
things. They did this to you, didn't they? Those damn Senshi! They  
put those stupid ideas iin your head and they're making you act like  
this. I won't let them get away this!"  
  
Yoko laughed. "Exactly what I predicted you'd say! I don't have to  
give you orders, Terri; so long as you stay yourself, you'll do  
everything I want you to whether you know you're doing it or not!"  
She stood. "But enough fun. You're tired, and I've been away from  
Mercury's side long enough. You just rest now, and think about what I  
said." She pressed two fingers against Terri's forehead.  
  
Terri resisted, but the world swam away into a grey place.  
  
  
Ami crossed the elevator's threshold and entered the observation deck  
of the Tokyo Tower. Much of the already bare furnishings had been  
stripped more, making way for hulking machinary, metallic monoliths  
with thick cables like tentacles that could have easily spawned a  
hentai otaku's fantasies for centuries, had any of those perverts  
still been alive.  
  
The air hummed, a high-pitched note that Ami's hearing could  
barely percieve. It set Ami's teeth on edge and made the hairs on the  
back of her neck rise, the same sensation she got whenever she knew  
that someone was watching her. Sneaking up behind her. Fingers  
reaching out to grab and twist and tear.  
  
Ami shuddered and rubbed the back of her neck, determined not to  
turn around. "No more dreaming," she muttered. "I'm awake now."  
  
Moving with deliberate casualness she slowly picked her way among  
the cables, heading to the place where the ecchi tentacles converged.  
  
Amid a nest of cables she found her target: a tall obelisk of  
white marble veined with orange lines of power. The light gathered at  
the apex, coalescing into a single beam that rose skyward, through  
the ceiling, and striking what Ami knew to be a complex system of  
amplifiers.  
  
Ami glanced beyond the windows. In the distance, easily seen  
against the dark clouds from the east, was a dome of golden light  
which served to enclose the entire base, even extending down into the  
ground where Ami couldn't see it.  
  
The generator creating this force field sat lotus-style on the  
ground, her back flush with the obelisk's surface, surrounded by a  
golden aura. Small wires appeared from under her shirt, running into  
a nearby muted electrocardiograph, and the silent but steady line  
showed Minako's heart rate at a slow fourty-four beats a minute, the  
same as an exceptionally deep sleeper.  
  
Although Ami had made no noise and Minako hadn't opened her eyes,  
the blonde's lips quirked up in a slight smile. The obelisk's light  
changed subtly, pulsed, and Minako's voice came from the air. "You  
look well."  
  
"And you look like something out of one of Frued's patient's  
dreams."  
  
Minako's laughter was odd, seeing as how it came from almost a  
meter above her head. "Is that so? Care to explain?"  
  
Ami blushed. "Well... um... I... I'm... sure you know what...  
what... Freud's general themes were. You've studied psychology."  
  
"Oh yeah. That's right. So I'm probably some sort of virgin just  
waiting to be sacrificed to a mighty tentacle demon." Minako's voice  
became coy. "So that must mean that this here obelisk must be a big-"  
  
Ami developed a massive coughing fit, which had the effect of  
blocking out Minako's last word.  
  
When it had passed, Minako said, "You are such a faker, Ami-chan.  
Did'ja know that?"  
  
Ami smiled. "I have no idea what you are talking about,  
Minako-chan."  
  
Minako snorted. "Whatever. What happened to your clothes? Why are  
they so big?"  
  
Ami wore blue jeans, sneakers, and a plain green sweatshirt.  
"Well... um... I went back to my apartment to get a change of  
clothes... since the clothes I was wearing was... well I didn't want  
to wear them anymore. But I discovered that everything in my closet  
smells like blood... among... other things. So I borrowed some  
clothes from Mako-chan."  
  
Minako said quietly, "How much do you remember?"  
  
"Too much," Ami said immediatly. She caught herself rubbing the  
back of her neck and hastily brought her arm down. "I mean, I have a  
lot of gray areas in my memory, especially during the first few  
months, but I think I retained a majority of the latter months.  
Especially the 'wet work' that I did. I... I remember all of that.  
Vividly."  
  
"Ami-chan..."  
  
Ami folded her arms. "I know that, technically, it wasn't *me*  
doing those things, but, in all honesty Minako-chan, I don't know if  
Mercury was controlling me or if she planted post-hypnotic  
suggestions in my mind and I carried them out for her."  
  
"That's ridiculous, Ami-chan! Mercury had to be controlling you!  
There's no other-"  
  
"Minako!" Ami said sharply. Minako didn't quite scowl, but she did  
fall silent. Ami said more gently, "You know as much about the Senshi  
as I do, so you know that Mercury doesn't like to control people. She  
manipulates, she murders, and she likes twisting people's minds, but  
she *doesn't* outright control people. She leaves that to Mars.  
  
"You also know that hypnotic suggestions are just that,  
suggestions. A person under hypnosis doesn't have to obey the  
suggestion if they don't want to. Even if she magically-enforced her  
suggestions, Mercury couldn't have made me ki... do the things that I  
did... Unless I wanted to do them."  
  
Ami smiled wanly. "And that's the scary part, really. Even though  
Rei-chan said that Mercury broke her link to me, there's no clue how  
many more suggestions she planted in my head, no telling if anything  
I'm doing now is really what I want do do, or what *she* wants me to  
do."  
  
Minako frowned. Ami found a clear spot among the cables and sat  
down. Neither spoke.  
  
Finally, Minako said, "Hey, Ami-chan?"  
  
"Yes, Minako-chan?"  
  
"Wasn't Freud sexist?"  
  
Ami stared at Minako. Minako grinned.  
  
Their laughter echoed throughout the Tower.  
  
  
Venus stood on the balcony of the CTDC Santallius, one of the ten  
battlecruisers specially equipped for use outside the bounderies of  
Crystal Tokyo's magic grid. She had wanted to take the flag ship, the  
Vintarus, but Mercury... Mercury...  
  
Venus's hand clench. 'How *dare* She refuse Me the use of the  
Vintarus! Who does She think She is?! She's not even using the damn  
thing!'  
  
Her eyes picked out several dots moving in the distance. A small  
knot of Enforcers, red-robed Priests, and one of Her own Priestesses  
gathered close to a tremendously powerful force field, doing their  
best to find a way past the golden barrier.  
  
'Damn Mercury and Her foolish plans,' Venus thought, glaring  
balefully at the near, but unreachable, Tokyo Tower. 'If We had only  
let Me handle things, I wouldn't be in this position now, and *SHE*  
wouldn't be inside that infernal Tower, gloating at Me.'  
  
The force field, no doubt the handiwork of that bitch Minako, had  
appeared from nowhere, neatly severing Venus off from a third of Her  
fleet. A brief report from one of Her Priests told of a force  
slaughtering Her troops, probably also the handiwork of Minako. The  
force field also made it impossible for the remaining two-thirds of  
the fleet to reach the access tunnel that Ami had purposefully made  
defenseless.  
  
'And I can't believe Mercury fell for Ami's trick. No doubt Ami  
had this scenario planned out from the beginning.' Venus clenched the  
hand rail, the metal screeching as it was twisted out of its original  
shape.  
  
"I don't understand why You are so upset, Venus-sama," a calm male  
voice said. "This shield is only a temporary setback, as I'm sure You  
already know."  
  
"It is not the force field that is upsetting Me, although that is  
certainly one part of it. What makes Me furious is that My vengeance  
is being delayed by this 'setback.'"  
  
A hand touched Her cheek, tracing a path from beneath Her ear to  
Her chin. "Actually, I think the scar makes You look rather sexy,  
Venus-sama. Maybe You should thank Minako before You kill her."  
  
Venus slapped the hand away irritably, glaring at the hand's  
owner. "You overstep your bounds, slave," She growled.  
  
He backed away, bowing, silver-blue hair whipped about the wind.  
"My humblest apologies, Venus-sama. I did not mean to."  
  
She frowned, watching him. Several decades ago, before the  
Descendants had become so bothersome, another group had dared to  
rebel against the Senshi, and had been summarily routed. Rather than  
kill the ringleader, Venus had decided to have Mars reprogram him  
into the slave he was now (Mercury's methods left too much room for  
free thought, in Venus's opinion.).  
  
Now, She drawled, "You're beginning to bore Me, slave. Perhaps  
it's time I sought out that brother of yours. What was his name  
again? Saffir?"  
  
Although his outward appearance didn't change, She sensed his  
sudden, burning rage. She smiled, coldly. "Or... perhaps... that  
woman you used to be fond of. Esmeraude, I believe her name was. I've  
got some Priests that could use a nice reward." She smiled in  
satisfaction as he glared at Her.  
  
"My apologies for intruding, Lady Venus, but I bring important  
news."  
  
Venus gritted Her teeth. Turning, She forced a smile on Her face  
for the benefit of Mercury's latest Priestess. "Yoko, how kind of you  
to pop in. Uninvited. What news do you have that is so important that  
you would risk My wrath?"  
  
Yoko returned Venus's smile polietly. "My Lady has given me the  
freedom to peruse Her vast store of knowledge. From my research I  
think I have discovered a way to breach the force field."  
  
"And Mercury decided to send you over here. How nice of Her. Tell  
Her that I no longer want any of Her help, seeing as how Her track  
record is less than appealing."  
  
Yoko said, "My Lady did not send me, Lady Venus. As I am sure You  
are well aware, my Lady could care less whether You sucedeed today or  
not. Therefore, I took the initiative and decided to help You."  
  
Venus regarded Yoko suspiciously. "I don't trust your motives.  
What is it that you truly want?"  
  
"Protection," Yoko replied promptly.  
  
"From what?"  
  
"The other Senshi. Specifically from Uranus and Jupiter."  
  
"And what would I get in return?"  
  
"Access to all of my Lady's archives, including Her private files.  
I can also make it possible for both Terri Ganabile and Aino Minako  
to be delivered into Your hands. And, of course, I will pledge my  
allegiance to You and become one of Your Priestesses."  
  
Venus snorted. "Your allegiance means nothing to Me, but the  
former two arouse my interest. Bring down that force field, and I'll  
see about your... protection."  
  
Yoko bowed. "As You wish, my Lady. I shall inform Lady Mercury of  
my resignation as Her Priestess immediatly." She vanished.  
  
For the first time since Yoko's arrival, the slave spoke. "That  
one means to betray You, Venus-sama."  
  
Venus dismissed the statement with a laugh. "Of course she does!  
And I find that so charming. I haven't met someone that ambitious  
since... well... you." She smiled fondly at him. "I'll have her  
killed in a few days, but, until then, I'll let her antics amuse me."  
  
She walked past him, entering Her rooms. "Now come. It's time for  
my bath." 


	9. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
Chapter 9 -  
  
"'Kizu tsuita hibi ga toketeku,'" Rei muttered.  
  
"What?"  
  
Rei looked away from the stream of people, to where Makoto sat  
pecking away at a keyboard. "I've got this song stuck in my head,"  
Rei said. "It's annoying."  
  
Makoto leaned back in her chair, flexing fingers cramped from  
continous typing. "What song?"  
  
"None that you would know, Mako-chan." Rei smiled to soften her  
words. She turned back around, gazing at the people below. Someone  
was waving at her. "I think group number 13 is ready to go."  
  
"Gotcha. Opening the Gate... now." Makoto rapidly typed out a  
string of keys.  
  
The cavern below Rei was rough and unfinished, and only one of a  
vast network of caverns, known as the Catacombs, that ran beneath the  
Descendant's base. It was through the Catacombs that much of the base  
was heated, thanks to the abundant hot springs. It was also down here  
that Rei spent much of her free time spluenking.  
  
In the middle of the cavern floor, standing four meters tall,  
eight meters long, and half a meter thick, Ami's device appeared to  
be nothing but a single plane of smooth metal just sticking up out of  
the ground. As Rei watched, a vertical stripe of light appeared in  
the center of the metal, and expanded outwards, as if a gate was  
opening onto another world, hence the reason why people called it the  
Gate (The official name was the "Instantaneous Matter Transmission  
Device", but everybody liked "The Gate" better.).  
  
When the Gate had been erected, Ami's crew had also carved out an  
aclove high up in the cavern's wall, where the Gate's machinery had  
been placed, and where Makoto controlled the Gate's functions.  
  
Now, as the band of light widened into a portal to the D-point, a  
cold wind blew into the cavern, surprising the twenty-five people of  
group 13, spraying snow along the rock floor where it quickly melted.  
Rei noticed this and turned to Makoto. "I think a blizzard started up  
out at the D-point."  
  
Makoto's eyes darted back and forth as she read the information  
coming from her screen. "I know. I'm compensating." The storm of snow  
lessened, then died. Makoto glanced at Rei. "There. Contact with the  
D-point established. All systems show green. I've got an eleven  
minute window, so tell 'em to haul ass, Rei-chan."  
  
Rei waved to the group below, and, slowly they begin to make their  
way through the portal.  
  
Makoto joined her, resting her arms on the saftey railing. "You'd  
think that, after all this time, I'd finally manage to settle down  
somewhere and have a permanent home, but it looks like I'm moving  
again."  
  
Rei kept her eyes on the group below. "You make it sound as if  
we're never coming back."  
  
"We're not," Makoto said, utter conviction in her voice.  
  
Rei was surprised. "What makes you say that?"  
  
"As often as I've moved in my life, I've developed a sense for  
these things." She looked up, her gaze solemn. "And this place feels  
like every other place I've moved from." She looked at Rei, emerald  
eyes dark and sad. "This place... it isn't our home anymore."  
  
  
On the Odyssey, Yoko paused just outside the medical bay, and took a  
few minutes to compose herself. It wouldn't do for Mercury to see her  
excited; Yoko needed to be as calm as possible.  
  
'Thank Pluto I serve Mercury, and not Mars,' she thought with a  
supressed shudder. With Mars's ability to read emotions and minds,  
keeping any secrets would have been impossible and, for someone as  
devious as Yoko, very, very lethal.  
  
Convinced that her expression was a blank mask, Yoko walked  
through the double doors. As she expected, Mercury was there,  
supervising the activities of two Priests. The object of the trio's  
attentions, strapped to one of the surgery tables, was a seemingingly  
comatose Terri. Yoko looked at her friend, and a flood of guilt rose  
up in her.  
  
Yoko swiftly buried it.  
  
Mercury, Her back to Yoko, didn't turn around as the doors slid  
shut behind her. "Well?" Her voice was cool and distracted, which  
Yoko was grateful for.  
  
Yoko stopped behind Mercury and bowed. "Her Excellance, Lady  
Venus, appreciates Your most gracious offer, but, unfortunetly, She  
has decided to decline Your help. She knows that You have other  
matters to attend to and She does not wish to waste Your time on such  
a trivial matter."  
  
Yoko kept her head low, and felt a chill go through her, which  
meant that Mercury had turned to look at her. "Did Venus truly say  
that?" Yoko clearly heard the undercurrent of mistrust in Mercury's  
voice. 'She's suspicious of me. I'll have to deal with this  
carefully.'  
  
Yoko straightened, met Mercury's eyes, and said, "I would never  
lie to You." She smiled internally, pleased with the calmness in her  
voice.  
  
Mercury's eyes narrowed slightly, and She opened Her mouth to  
speak.  
  
One of the Priests suddenly piped up. "I mixed and injected the  
serum as You directed, my Lady, but I... I think something went  
wrong. I'm not exactly sure about what happened but, well," he  
glanced fearfully at the table, "It would be best if You saw this  
Yourself."  
  
Mercury turned, Yoko no longer the focus of Her attention. "I  
think I know what is best for Me," She snapped, glaring at the man.  
The Priest stumbled back and fell to his knees, stammering an  
apology.  
  
Mercury ignored him, and turned to the other, now terrified,  
Priest. "Are the preperations complete?"  
  
The Priest bowed. "Yes, My Lady."  
  
"Then all of you, leave Me."  
  
The Priest gathered his companion, and both made a hasty exit.  
  
"That includes you, too, Yoko."  
  
Yoko took a breath. 'Time to roll the dice.' Aloud, she said, "If  
You can forgive my boldness, my Lady, I wish to stay and observe. I'm  
curious as to what exactly You are going to do to Terri."  
  
Mercury stared at Yoko so long that the Priestess was afraid she  
had somehow given herself away. When Mercury turned away, Yoko nearly  
exhaled the breath she didn't remember holding, until Mercury said,  
"I truly hope that it is curiosity that motivates you, Yoko. I would  
hate to discover that you are ruled by your baser emotions."  
  
Yoko swallowed. "I... am merely a Priestess, my Lady, and am  
subject to the same emotions as others of my kind. Only You and the  
other Senshi are perfect in that regard."  
  
Mercury gave Yoko a sidelong glance and smiled, an unpleasant  
sight under any circumstance. "Indeed." She placed a hand on Terri's  
pale forehead. "Now let Us see what secrets you have been hiding."  
  
  
Makoto looked up from the keyboard as Rei grunted. "Rei-chan?"  
  
Rei, hunched over, lurched towards Makoto, lost her balance, and  
fell to her knees. Makoto leaped to her feet, knocking over her  
chair, and ran to her friend. "Rei-chan!"  
  
"My link..." Rei ground out through gritted teeth. "Somehow... my  
link to Terri-chan's active again, and she's..."  
  
  
Yoko looked up as the lights above flickered and dimmed. A breeze,  
slight at first but steadily growing stronger, begin to blow through  
the room, setting Yoko's robe whipping around her body. "Um... Lady  
Mercury?"  
  
Mercury, jaw set in fierce concentration, didn't respond. Beneath  
Her hand, Terri groaned and stirred restlessly. Energy, black as  
night, leapt from her body, striking nearby machinery with disturbing  
effects.  
  
The lights dimmed further. The wind grew stronger. Shadowy images  
moved at the edge of Yoko's vision, vanishing whenever she tried to  
look at them directly. Yoko watched fearfully as one of the black  
bolts of power lanced through a computer monitor, detonating it in a  
furious display of glass, sparks, and circuitry, and setting the  
little that remained ablaze.  
  
As a Priestess she had watched Mercury scour dozens of people's  
minds. This was definitly the first time something like this had  
occured.  
  
A tray of surgical instruments crashed into a cabinet full of  
vials. Yoko backed up, then took shelter behind a table.  
  
What in the name of Pluto was going on?  
  
  
"Something's happening."  
  
"Can you see what?"  
  
"No. My vision's getting really fuzzy for some reason. But it  
looks like... like a giant tuning fork? What the heck does Venus want  
with that?"  
  
Ami turned away from the windows, looking at Minako. "A tuning  
fork?"  
  
Sweat beaded Minako's forehead, and she was breathing quickly, too  
quickly. Ami struggled with trying not to worry; Minako had been  
through much worse for longer periods of time, but it was impossible.  
"Minako-chan, I think..." Ami halted, indescion tearing at her.  
Finally, she said, "Venus is... probably trying to set up a  
sub-harmonic wave resonance. To match, and eventually, cancel out  
your natural frequency."  
  
"Ami-chan, I was originally born in Japan, not Greece."  
  
Ami flushed. "She's going to shut off your shield."  
  
"Oh... Oh! Heh heh. Let 'er try. All I've gotta do is hold out  
till Mako-chan and Rei-chan are finished working the Gate, then Venus  
can have this place. How many groups did they have left?"  
  
"Last time I checked, five groups. Given the random teleport  
windows, that'll take about half an hour... if we're lucky. Can you  
hold out that long?"  
  
Minako's smile was strained. "No."  
  
  
Something had gone horribly wrong.  
  
From her position near the floor, Yoko watched as a strange black  
aura appeared around Terri's body, and tendrils of blackness started  
to snake up Mercury's arm. The Senshi's eyes snapped open, and She  
looked about Her, for the first time noticing the roaring cyclone and  
the piles of melted slag that was what remained of the Med bay.  
  
She jerked away from Terri, and the expression of disbelief on Her  
face would have been funny, if Yoko hadn't been scared for her life.  
"Impossible!" the Senshi shouted, Her voice clear even over the  
howling wind. "This... this... *abberration* cannot possibly be this  
strong!" Then She saw Yoko, and the disbelief evolved into rage.  
"YOU! You're the one doing this!"  
  
Yoko scrambled backwards, trying to find purchase on a suddenly  
icy floor. Mercury, unhampered by the tornado, grabbed Yoko by the  
neck and slammed her into a wall. Eyes the color of steel, Mercury  
snarled, "I don't know how you worked your way around the  
Re-Education, but I'm going to-"  
  
"Fire-"  
  
Mercury turned, shocked. "What?!"  
  
Over Mercury's shoulder, Yoko saw Terri slowly climb to her feet.  
Grey eyes open and unseeing, she lifted both hands towards Mercury.  
"SOUL!"  
  
A split second later, the Med bay, and much of the Odyssey,  
exploded.  
  
  
Minako, already stretched beyond her abilities, felt her tenous  
hold on her force field snap, hurtling her back into her body. She  
sprawled on the ground, gasping for air, and feeling really dizzy as  
her heart rate soared from fourty-four to seventy-five in a few  
seconds.  
  
'Okay,' she thought as she lay on the ground. 'Right about now,  
Venus and her flunkies are probably storming the base. So, I can't  
keep lying around here. I've got to get up.' A few seconds passed.  
'I've got to get up.' Several more seconds passed. 'I've. Got. To.  
GET. UP!' Minako rolled onto her side. 'Well... it's a start.'  
  
"Minako-chan? Daijoubu?"  
  
'Hm... maybe I overdid it just a little.'  
  
A hand touched her shoulder, and she was being helped to sit up.  
"Can you hear me? C'mon, Minako-chan, give me some sign you're okay!"  
  
Minako grunted, and blinked groggily. "Fwuh?" Then her eyes  
widened. "Aaaameee?"  
  
Her friend smiled, relieved. "You'll be fine." She looked out the  
window. "Mako-chan's here. She's going to take you down to the  
Catacombs, and she, you, and Rei-chan are going to group Teleport  
everybody that's left. Do you think you can manage that?"  
  
Over Ami's shoulder, Mako-chan was grinning broadly. Minako met  
Makoto's eyes, and nodded slowly.  
  
Ami's own smile was, by contrast, almost evil. She stood and  
stretched. "Then it's time I paid the Senshi a little visit." And,  
just like that, she was gone.  
  
Minako didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry, so she did both.  
  
  
Venus was in shock.  
  
A sudden, frantic communication from an Enforcer on the Odyssey,  
claiming that the crusier had simply exploded. A rapid surge in  
Mercury's power, followed by an abrubt silence. And Minako's shield  
collapsing before Venus had done anything.  
  
Venus frowned, and teleported to the bridge of the Santillus.  
  
At once, the people present saluted or bowed or genuflected in  
some way. Venus ignored them all, seeking out her head Priest. "What  
is our current status, Diego?"  
  
The Priest smiled. "Your troops have blasted several openings into  
the Descendants' base, and currently taking control of the first and  
second levels. We have met some resistance in Mizuno's Ark, but they  
are only a few people. We should have complete control within  
minutes."  
  
Venus's eyes were drawn to the Tower. "And My counterpart?"  
  
Until now, the Priest had been confident. Now his confidence  
faded. "We... have not been able to get a fix on her position. B-but  
I'm sure that she'll be found. With their base gone, they have  
nowhere to go."  
  
A small group of people were talking excitedly about something.  
Venus looked at them. "What are you fools babbling about?"  
  
From the cluster, one man was shoved forward. He wiped his  
forehead nervously. "W-we h-have a r-r-report from the f-f-front  
lines. M-Mercury's-"  
  
Venus grabbed the man by his shirt and lifted him up. "Speak!"  
  
"She's coming here!" He squealed.  
  
"She's dead." Another voice said from behind Venus.  
  
In the abrubt, total silence, Venus dropped the man and turned,  
snarling, "What did you say...?"  
  
Yoko stood, her robe charred and blackened in many areas, and  
stained by blood pouring from open wounds. She looked up at Venus. "I  
saw it. Terri killed Her."  
  
"And you survived? How?" Venus asked angrily.  
  
"Happened too fast. No time to... to do anything other than  
teleport. I tried to help..." She collapsed, unconcious.  
  
Venus stared down at her, shocked. Mercury was dead?  
  
"But, Mercury can't be dead. She's coming here, from the Tower."  
someone ventured finally.  
  
'From the *Tower*?!'  
  
Venus whirled. "Retreat! NOW!"  
  
When nobody moved to obey, Venus looked to see what had captivated  
Her crew. Outside the bridge, beyond the prow of the cruiser, across  
a distance that only someone with Venus's vision could see, a single  
figure was decimating Her troops.  
  
The ribbon in back was longer. The brooch shaped like a heart.  
Shoulderpads clear as glass. And the eyes...  
  
Across that vast distance, Venus locked eyes with Mizuno Ami, now  
as Super Sailor Mercury, Avatar Reborn.  
  
And Venus knew fear. 


	10. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
Chapter 10 -  
  
Venus stepped into the room and walked to the foot of the bed. Yoko,  
bandaged, drugged, and awake, smiled weakly at the Senshi. "Lady  
Venus. You honor me with Your presence. I'd rise to meet You but, as  
You can see, I don't think I'm capable of that right now."  
  
"In a few hours, you will not be capable of much of anything."  
Venus said cooly.  
  
Yoko blinked, puzzled. "What do You mean, my Lady?"  
  
"Recently the Santallius passed the Odyssey, or what remained of  
it. Apparently the explosion you mentioned also took out the  
propulsion system, destroying a full ninety percent of the ship. Only  
seven people survived, and I find it a bit too convenient that you are  
one of them."  
  
Yoko's eyes widened. "You think that, somehow, I rigged the  
explosion and escaped on my own?"  
  
"I don't know. Truth-telling is not My forte, which is why you are  
going to be paid a visit by Jupiter the instant we arrive at Crystal  
Tokyo."  
  
Yoko struggled to sit up. "But... But, what about my protection?  
You promised-"  
  
"I promised you protection... provided you brought down Aino  
Minako's shield and delivered her and Terri into my hands. Neither of  
which you have done."  
  
"I didn't have *time!*" Yoko protested, paling as she realized the  
depth of the hole she was in. "Terri killed Mercury before I could set  
my own plans for Her into motion!" Venus' eyes narrowed dangerously,  
and Yoko paled further. "Truly, Lady Venus, I did not intend for Lady  
Mercury to die, I was only going to borrow Her power for a short  
while. By doing that I could have-"  
  
"ENOUGH!" Yoko cringed. Venus scowled, "I have no further use for  
you. Perhaps I'll just kill you now and save Jupiter the trouble."  
  
"W-wait! I can still be useful to You. With Mercury gone, Her  
followers are going to begin to revert back to the way they were  
before She programmed them. Many of them aren't as loyal as I am, and  
the first thing a lot of them are going to do is make a run for it,  
probably to join the Descendants, or to any other underground  
organization that will accept them. Almost all of them know something  
vital to the security of Crystal Tokyo, and it would be devastating if  
it fell into the wrong hands."  
  
"I shall have someone deal with that matter, Yoko. You're help is  
not necessary."  
  
"But it is," Yoko insisted vehemently. "I made it my mission to  
become familiar with everything Mercury does, something that none of  
Her other followers did. I'm the *only* one that knows how to keep  
their programming intact, and I'm the only person qualified to perform  
the work involved. If You kill me, You'll lose all of that."  
  
Venus studied her. "Make a single mistake or one move against Me  
and you *will* die."  
  
Yoko sighed in relief. "I will not disappoint You, Lady Venus."  
  
Venus smiled. "I hope you keep your word, this time."  
  
  
Jupiter didn't turn as Mars approached Her. "Magnificent, isn't it?"  
  
Mars looked up, studying Jupiter's latest project. "What is it?"  
  
"An academic center for the younger children."  
  
"You're building another University?"  
  
Jupiter looked at Mars. "Nothing quite as complex as that. Younger  
children lack the attention span necessary to attend the University.  
This institute will firm up their belief in the Senshi, and Her  
majesty, Queen Serenity, using methods more suitable to their immature  
minds."  
  
Mars smiled, a rare occurrence. "You are going to have them play  
with action figures?"  
  
"'Action figure' is such a derogatory term. I prefer the term  
'demonstrative models.'"  
  
Mars watched construction workers swarm over the building. "Mercury  
is dead."  
  
Jupiter's expression didn't change. "I am aware of that fact."  
  
"Venus reports that Terri is responsible for Her death."  
  
"I am also aware of that."  
  
"And Mizuno Ami is-"  
  
"Do not make Me repeat Myself, Mars."  
  
Mars snorted and folded Her arms. "What will We do?"  
  
"We will wait for Venus to return to Crystal Tokyo."  
  
"And?"  
  
Jupiter looked at Her. "That is all."  
  
"You mean... We are *not* going to attack the Descendants?!"  
  
"No. At least, not now."  
  
Mars stared at Her. "Have You lost Your mind? We should strike  
while they are still reeling from the last attack!"  
  
"We did attack them. Look what happened as a result." Jupiter  
looked back to the unfinished building. "We will wait. There is a  
proper time and place to attack them. And Pluto will let Me know  
when."  
  
"I think You rely on Her too much," Mars said, annoyed.  
  
"I'd rather rely on the oldest of Us then the youngest."  
  
  
At the North Pole there was the D-point. At the D-point there was a  
volcano. In the volcano there was a crater. In the crater there were  
people, many people, all from different professions, different  
countries, different backgrounds, but they all shared one thing in  
common: the freedom of choice. The freedom to do what they want when  
they want and to do it of their own free will.  
  
'And right now,' Makoto thought as she walked among the people, 'I  
wish they'd exercise their freedom to sleep.' Living underground had  
thrown off a lot of people's sense of time. Combine that with the fact  
that the sun, still high up in the sky, had not moved in two hours  
since Makoto and the others had teleported here, and it made one hell  
of a recipe for insomnia. And to make matters worse, the volcano  
seemed to ooze malice, which nobody but Makoto seemed to notice, and  
it was gradually wearing on her nerves.  
  
Makoto sighed and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. Physically,  
she was fine, but emotionally she was slowly turning into a wreck. 'I  
hope we're not here much longer.'  
  
"Miss Kino! Missssss Kiiiinoooo!" A couple of boys, barely ten, ran  
up to Makoto and skidded to a halt, panting. Makoto smiled. "Sam-kun.  
Riff-kun. What are you two doing here?" She didn't ask where their  
parents were. No one over the age of eight had parents, one of the  
stranger and sadder side effects of Earth's second Ice Age.  
  
Riff looked up at her, blue eyes bright. "Can Sam and I go explore  
the tunnels?"  
  
The same tunnels that connected the D-Point to Tokyo? 'Oh, great.  
Just what we need. Kids disappearing. Better change their minds real  
fast.' She looked down them. "Why would you wanna go down there?"  
  
Sam beamed. "We read they were haunted, and we wanna see the  
ghosts!"  
  
Inwardly, Makoto winced. She looked from one to the other. "Ghosts?  
There are no ghosts down there."  
  
"Yeah, there are," Sam said, stubbornly, and Riff added, "I read it  
in my Otaku's Guide to Magical Girls. I'd show it to you... but I had  
to leave it behind when we evacuated."  
  
Makoto laughed a bit too loudly. "Ghosts at the North Pole?! That's  
as silly as gargoyles living in Manhattan."  
  
The two boys looked crestfallen, so Makoto knelt and ruffled their  
hair playfully. "Tell ya what: you guys help with the settling in,  
catch some z's, and meet me back here tomorrow morning and we'll spend  
the whole day messing around outside. I'll help you build a giant snow  
fort. How's that sound?"  
  
"Do we have to wait so long?" Riff whined.  
  
"Well..." Makoto stood and folded her arms. "We don't have to  
go..."  
  
Sam grabbed Riff. "We'll go help, Miss Kino, you'll see! We'll be  
the best helpers ever! C'mon, Riff." Sam hauled Riff off into the  
crowd of people.  
  
'That is the *last* time we let Minako-chan answer her Sailor V fan  
mail,' Makoto thought irritably as she stood. She looked around and  
spotted a familiar blonde woman lounging on a couple of crates,  
talking. 'And speaking of Minako-chan...'  
  
"Why aren't you resting?" Makoto demanded as she strode over to  
where Minako, Rei, and Ami were sitting. She glared at Minako.  
  
Minako peered blearily up at the taller woman. "Don't wanna."  
  
"But you look like shit!"  
  
"Feel like it, too," Minako agreed amiably. "But before you lash  
into me," she gestured at Ami, "better lash into her."  
  
Makoto scowled. "Why would I be mad at Ami-chan? You're the one who  
won't go to bed!"  
  
"She's the one that wants to leave."  
  
Makoto was taken aback. She blinked, slowly. "Leave? Where? And for  
how long?" She turned. "Ami-chan?"  
  
Ami blushed scarlet and studied her hands. "It wouldn't be  
forever," she said softly.  
  
"Only a couple of years," Rei growled.  
  
"You don't know that," Ami said.  
  
Makoto stared at Ami, shocked. "But... but why?!"  
  
"I don't think... It just wouldn't be a good idea for me to be  
here, right now. Not so soon after... after..."  
  
Minako said, "What she's trying to say is that she thinks she's  
gonna lose her mind, go postal, and kill us all. Something Mercury  
told her to do just prior to breaking their link."  
  
Rei said, "And I keep telling her that it won't happen."  
  
"And *I* keep telling you that we don't know that," Ami said,  
looking at Rei. "You told me yourself, Rei-chan, that you had trouble  
discerning my thoughts from Mercury's when we were separate. Now that  
Mercury and I are one again, it would next to impossible to locate any  
of Mercury's instructions, let alone remove them from my mind." She  
looked around at the others. "Which is why I want to leave. Once I  
know that what I'm thinking is *really* me and not something leftover  
from Mercury, then I'll come back."  
  
Makoto frowned. Ami had a point. But, to just leave? So soon after  
arriving?  
  
Rei leaned forward, staring intensely at the blue-haired woman.  
"Ami-chan, listen to me. You. Don't. Have. To. Go. Anywhere. Nothing  
will happen. You'll be fine, so stop being so paranoid."  
  
"And if something does happen? What will you do, Rei-chan? I don't  
want you guys to have to fight me."  
  
"Then we won't. And do you want to know why? Because *nothing* is  
going to happen, Ami-chan. Trust me."  
  
Makoto said, "Rei-chan, why are you being so stubborn? We're safe  
for the time being, and Ami-chan isn't really needed now, so it would  
be fine if she left for a while. It's not like she's abandoning us."  
  
Rei looked up. "It doesn't matter if we're safe or not. It's not  
necessary for her to leave!"  
  
Something clicked in Makoto's mind. "Why?"  
  
Rei jerked back, surprised.  
  
Makoto loomed over Rei. "Why are you being so insistent, Rei? Why  
are you so certain that she won't freak out and kill us all?" Rei's  
face was blank, but her eyes gave everything away.  
  
Surprising Rei and Ami, surprising even herself, Makoto grabbed Rei  
by her shirt and hauled her to her feet. With her face centimeters  
away from Rei's, Makoto hissed, "What the Hell did you to her?" and  
heard Ami gasp.  
  
Rei broke Makoto's grip and staggered back, glaring. "I did what I  
thought was necessary." She looked at Ami. "I locked down certain  
parts of your mind, to prevent anyone other than you or myself from  
accessing what they had no business looking at. I also built in a set  
of safeguards, which makes it nearly impossible for you to betray the  
rest of us. Mercury must have found a loophole around some of them,  
which is understandable since I haven't updated them for a while, but  
I'm positive that you can't 'go postal.'"  
  
Ami was pale, but her eyes blazed with anger. She stood slowly. "'A  
while?!' When did you install these so-called safeguards?"  
  
"Nine hundred and forty years ago. After her death."  
  
No need to say who 'she' was. Makoto grew so enraged that small  
sparks of electricity leaped from her skin. "You just couldn't resist,  
could you, Rei? Her body wasn't even cold before you started screwing  
with us! Why didn't you finish it, huh? What happened? Did you finally  
get bored with your ego-trip? Or did it finally get through your thick  
skull that we *didn't* want you as our leader?"  
  
Rei was stunned. "It's not like that! I-I never intended-"  
  
"Shut up! I'm sick of you and your better-than-thou attitude. I  
don't want to see you. *EVER.* And if I do I swear to God I'm going to  
kill you!"  
  
"Mako-chan-"  
  
Minako had been silent, apparently oblivious to what was happening.  
Now she stood, and caught Rei's shoulders. "This isn't the best time  
to appeal to Mako-chan's sanity."  
  
Makoto lunged forward, but Ami stepped in front of her, grabbing  
Makoto's fists before the brunette could physically attack Rei and  
Minako. Ami glanced over her shoulder at the other two. "Get out of  
here."  
  
Rei looked first at Makoto, then at Ami. Stiffly, she shook herself  
free from Minako and walked away, disappearing in a column of fire.  
Minako hesitated, then did likewise.  
  
Makoto pulled away from Ami's grasp. "How *dare* she?!"  
  
"Where do you think Rei went?"  
  
Makoto backed up, giving herself room to teleport. "Don't know.  
Don't care."  
  
Ami looked at her. "Where are you going?"  
  
"To find Minako. The way she acted... I *know* she's involved  
somehow."  
  
  
Minako watched as another chunk of ice arced upwards, pausing for a  
moment in the air, before plunging down to join its brethren far, far  
below.  
  
A slight tingle ran up her arms, alerting her to the fact that she  
was no longer alone. She smiled, and crouched in the snow, blasting  
another chunk of ice loose.  
  
Footsteps crunched along the ice and halted just behind her. "You  
knew, didn't you?"  
  
Minako nodded. Picking up the loose chunk, she stood and hefted her  
latest ice block in her hand as she contemplated its doom.  
  
A hand landed on her shoulder, gripping it tightly. "Give me one  
good reason why I shouldn't shove you over that cliff."  
  
"Because then you wouldn't have such a wonderful, charming young  
woman like myself in your life?" Minako grinned.  
  
Makoto made a disgusted sound and released Minako. "Dammit, can't  
you be serious for once?"  
  
Minako hefted her ice chunk. "It's kinda hard to be serious when  
you're mourning the deaths of your stuffed animals."  
  
Makoto lifted a fist, aimed it at Minako's face, and let it drop  
with a heavy sigh. "Now I know why the Senshi try to kill you all the  
time: you're always pissing them off."  
  
"Nah. They're just jealous of my stunning good looks." Her smile  
faded. "You can't be too mad. You haven't killed anyone."  
  
"Trust me. I'm fuming."  
  
"Oh, c'mon, Mako-chan. You have to admit, we benefited at least  
partially from Rei-chan's mental tampering."  
  
"You're taking *her* side!?"  
  
Minako lobbed the ice chunk high into the air. "I kinda have to.  
I'm the one that ordered Rei-chan to do it."  
  
The air, already crisp from the cold, suddenly became charged with  
electricity. Minako looked up, tracking the ice chunk as it fell to  
the ground, and waited for the blow to fall.  
  
When it didn't she lifted a hand, pointed, and the ice chunk  
vanished in a rain of light. She tucked her hands into the pockets of  
her jacket and watched her newly created snow drift to the ground.  
"I'm not gonna go into the circumstances that led up to Rei-chan doing  
it, or why I got involved. That's for her to talk about. But, she  
didn't do it because she wanted to, Mako-chan. I ordered her to do it,  
for reasons she doesn't know about, and we're going to leave it at  
that."  
  
"This is more of that 'I'm the leader so do as I say' stuff, isn't  
it?"  
  
"Yes. Yes it is."  
  
Makoto entered Minako's line of vision. Arms folded, the brunette  
stared up at the sky. "You know, it isn't the fact that Rei did it  
that pisses me off, because if she did have a good reason, then I'll  
forgive her and forget it." She glared at Minako, green eyes hard  
enough to fracture rock. "It's the fact you didn't trust me enough to  
tell me!"  
  
Minako shrugged. "What can I say? I can't be a good leader without  
a few secrets." She looked at Makoto. "Besides, had I told you, you  
would've blabbed it to everyone that asked. You're not exactly the  
best at lying, y'know."  
  
"You did all of this so I could have plausible deniability?! What  
kind of excuse is that?"  
  
"Hey, it worked in Independence Day."  
  
"You're an asshole, Minako-chan."  
  
Minako smiled at her, and watched as clouds drifted by. "You'll  
deal with it, Mako-chan. You always have."  
  
  
'Snow... so much snow...'  
  
How long had she been walking? It felt like forever. Forever and a  
day. Maybe she had always been walking. Maybe she was dead, and this  
was Hell, and her eternal damnation was too walk through snow.  
  
It was almost ironic. First darkness as far as the eye could see.  
Then snow. Maybe it would have been better if she had stayed blind; at  
least then she was warm.  
  
She was lying on the ground. She didn't remember falling. For a  
moment she thought about getting up, then changed her mind. She was  
tired.  
  
Hands wrapped around her arms and hauled her up. Anger flared  
briefly. Why couldn't he just leave her there? She was tired. She  
wanted to sleep. Sleep was good. Sleep was...  
  
Somebody was on her other side. Supported between her friends, they  
walked and, automatically, she walked with them.  
  
Time passed, measured only by the neverending fall of snow.  
  
The people supporting her were gone and she walked alone. When they  
had vanished, she had no idea and, frankly she didn't care. For a  
while she walked along. Then she stumbled. Then she stopped and just  
stood in the snow. All of the snow.  
  
So much snow...  
  



	11. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
Chapter 11  
  
"Your friends are here, Terri-san. Should I send them up?"  
  
I looked up from my homework and smiled at the woman standing in my  
doorway. "No, I'll go down to meet them. But thank you for asking,  
Furahata-san."  
  
Mrs. Furahata nodded and walked away, and I begin to put up my  
books. Four months ago, after a youma (the seventh to attack me) had  
totaled my apartment, Minako had pulled a few strings and helped me to  
move into Furahata Taka's house. I lived in Mrs. Furahata's daughter's  
room, who apparently was no longer living there (It would have been  
rude to ask Mrs. Furahata about why her daughter had left, and the one  
time I mentioned it to Minako, my friend had merely smiled and assured  
me that Hiro's leave taking was for the sake of mankind. I never asked  
her again.).  
  
Mrs. Furahata was the best, and she treated me like I was her own  
daughter. And I thought of her as my mother. That puzzled me  
sometimes, because I couldn't remember my own mother. The only family  
I could remember having was Jake. But Jake, to the best of my  
knowledge, was dead, killed during the same disaster that had left me  
stranded in Tokyo, with little to no memory of my purpose here. Damn  
Galaxia.  
  
Strange word, "purpose." I wonder why I used it. Makes me think I'm  
here to accomplish a certain task.  
  
I shook my head and straightened up my desk. "Terri," I told  
myself, "Sometimes I think you're getting as air headed as Minako-  
san."  
  
"I agree."  
  
Startled, I stood, blushing and embarrassed that I had been heard  
talking out loud. "Rei-san, I didn't hear you come in."  
  
Rei, arms folded, leaned against my door frame and looked at me.  
"Are you ready yet?"  
  
I should make this perfectly clear right now: Hino Rei does not  
like me. I don't know why and, to be quite honest, I don't care why  
because I don't like her. There's just something about her that tenses  
me up, like I'm preparing to avoid some sort of attack. And, judging  
by the way she acts around me, she gets just as jumpy around me as I  
am around her.  
  
"Almost," I said, and finished putting up my schoolwork. Two years  
and a valley of animosity separated Rei and I, but, despite that, I  
still attempted to be polite. "Where's Minako-san?"  
  
"She and Mako-chan went to go drag a certain blonde trash compactor  
away from an odango shop."  
  
I paused in the act of retrieving a jacket. "That's the Moon  
Rabbit, correct?"  
  
Rei had been studying a strip of paper that she held in her hands.  
Now, the upperclassman's head jerked up and she glared at me silently.  
  
I blinked, then realized my error. "Ah... I'm sorry. I... er...  
meant Tsukino-san. I-I have a habit of translating everything said to  
me into English, so when Minako-chan told me the name of your friend I  
automatically heard it as-"  
  
"Forget it," Rei said curtly. She walked out. "Come on. They're  
probably back by now."  
  
I followed her, shrugging into my jacket as I walked. When I  
stopped to close my door behind me, I noticed the strip of paper  
sticking to the frame. Frowning, I translated the kanji.  
  
'Evil spirit, begone!'  
  
I looked at it, surprised, then at Rei's retreating back.  
  
  
Feeling was the first thing that Terri became aware of; a heavy  
blanket covering her, a soft mattress beneath her, and somewhere near  
her right arm a pillow existed, trapped beneath forearm and body.  
  
Sound came next, soft noises that served to chase away the  
lingering elements of a dream she couldn't quite remember having.  
People's voices, children laughing, an unusual but oddly familiar  
roaring, animals lowing... animals? Animals?!  
  
Terri opened her right eye.  
  
A wall met her bleary gaze, timber logs stacked one atop the other,  
cunningly fitted so that, at the corners, the ceiling and even between  
logs, there were no gaps for air to leak through.  
  
She sat up slowly, blinking about her in the late morning light  
that slanted through the window above her bed.  
  
She was in a room, longer than wide, large enough to contain eight  
beds, of which Terri was the only occupant. At Terri's end of the  
room, a brick fireplace had been constructed, but no fire warmed its  
hearth. At the other end was a door, and as she looked about her, it  
opened and admitted a girl.  
  
She couldn't have been older than seventeen, short for age, with  
black hair and dark eyes that only seemed to put emphasis on her pale  
skin. She closed the door behind her, turned, and finally noticed  
Terri. "Good morning, Ganabile-san! I brought you some clothes!" She  
held up a bundle of cloth.  
  
Puzzled, Terri looked down and realized that she was very obviously  
naked. With a mortified shriek, she pulled the blanket up and over her  
head.  
  
There was a long moment of silence, then, slightly muffled by the  
blanket, she heard the girl laugh. "Gomen nasai. I seem to have  
forgotten my manners while living here. I hope I didn't scare you too  
badly. My name's Tomoe Hotaru, and I'm really sorry I barged in like  
that." Footsteps approached. Terri shrunk away, still too embarrassed  
to speak. "Are you going to stay under there all day, Ganabile-san?"  
  
"What-" Terri's voice squeaked. She coughed, and said in a more  
normal tone, "What happened to my clothes?"  
  
"Actually, I'm supposed to ask you that. You weren't wearing much  
when Setsuna found you, and what little you had on looked like it  
wasn't too flame resistant. Michiru said it was a miracle you and your  
friends survived." The footsteps halted near Terri's bed. "What was  
going on out there?"  
  
Terri pondered, then said, "I... really don't remember what I was  
doing. It's all so hazy..." Then the rest of what the girl said caught  
up with her. "My friends?" She poked her head out from underneath the  
blanket. "What friends?"  
  
The girl had sat down on the bed across from Terri. She said, "If I  
remember correctly, they said their names were Shouji and Kiyomi. We  
found them with you. They're... not your friends?"  
  
"No. I mean, yes. Yes, they are my friends. I'm just... Where are  
they?"  
  
"Outside, and you can join them in a few minutes." Hotaru held out  
the clothes. "After you get dressed."  
  
The clothes turned out to be a pair of plain brown slacks and a  
white, short-sleeved shirt, both of which were too big. "I'm sorry  
they're so big," Hotaru said as she handed Terri some socks and shoes.  
"You're taller than most of the people here, so I had to borrow some  
of Haruka's clothes. They should fit pretty well, even though you are,  
um, 'bigger' than she is."  
  
Terri dressed under the blanket.  
  
When she crawled back out, fully dressed, her companion slipped  
around behind Terri, brandished a brush and, a few minutes later,  
Terri's hair hung in a single braid down her back.  
  
The girl smiled. "There, now you look decent. Are you hungry?"  
  
Terri answered in the affirmative and, together, they walked  
outside.  
  
Just past the threshold, Terri paused to let her eyes adjust to the  
unusually bright sunlight, and let out a gasp of astonishment. Water.  
Water as far as she could see, with no end in sight.  
  
A dim memory surfaced and she managed to put a name to vast expanse  
of water that dominated her view. "An ocean..." she breathed. "But...  
there is no ocean near Crystal Tokyo." She looked at Hotaru. "Where  
are we?"  
  
"We're still near Japan, if that's what you are worried about, but  
we're farther northeast, on a small chain of islands." She gestured  
around them. "This used to be a big tourist spot, but when everything  
froze over..." She trailed off, shrugging.  
  
Now that the shock had worn off somewhat, Terri looked around, and  
noticed other things. She and Hotaru stood on a grass-strewn hill,  
part of a verdant expanse of greenery that separated the beach in the  
distance with the impressive forest behind them. The cabin Terri had  
left was part of a cluster of houses, and Terri saw people below.  
Voices, indistinct because of distance and the waves, rode the wind to  
her. "How is this possible?" she asked, watching a couple of men ride  
off towards the forest on horseback. "I thought everything was frozen  
solid, except for Crystal Tokyo."  
  
"You sound like your friends. They were just as surprised as you  
are," Hotaru said with a laugh. Still smiling, she looked around, then  
beckoned Terri closer. "You really want to know why this island is  
free of ice?" She dropped her voice to a whisper, and Terri leaned in  
close to hear her words. "Michiru's the reason. She controls the  
temperature of the sea around the island, which helps keep the climate  
warm and stable. Cool, ne?"  
  
'Is she serious?' Terri made a sound, which Hotaru took as  
agreement. The shorter girl glanced about mischievously before saying,  
"But don't tell anyone, though. Most people don't know that Haruka,  
Michiru, Setsuna and I can use magic, and we won't tell them because  
we don't want to alienate ourselves further. I mean, some people think  
Haruka and Michiru being together is bad enough."  
  
"Talking about me again, eh, Hotaru-chan?"  
  
Hotaru jumped and spun around. "Michiru!"  
  
The woman, which had, to Terri, appeared out of nowhere, looked  
sternly at Hotaru. "And what lies have you been telling our guest this  
time?"  
  
"Lies?" Hotaru cried indignantly. "I'll have you know that I was  
only telling her the truth."  
  
"And which 'truth' would that be?"  
  
"The one about how the island stays warm."  
  
Michiru sighed. "Spreading tales about magic again? Honestly,  
Hotaru-chan, the things you come up with. What am I going to do with  
you?"  
  
Hotaru grinned innocently. "Nothing bad, I know that much." Terri  
had the sudden impression that this conversation had been repeated  
often and in much the same manner. She looked from one to the other,  
baffled. 'So Hotaru wasn't telling the truth? But, then how does the  
island stay warm?'  
  
Michiru smiled. "You are hopeless. Haruka should be back any minute  
now. Why don't you go to the stables and wait for her?" Hotaru  
understood and jogged down the hill, waving to Terri, who returned it  
absently.  
  
Michiru watched Hotaru until she was out of hearing range, then  
sighed quietly. "You encourage her to tell one story and she develops  
four thousand." She shook her head and smiled slightly. "But I guess  
that's what happens when you're raised by artists." She looked at  
Terri, arched a single, sea-green eyebrow. "Is something wrong, Terri-  
san?"  
  
Terri realized she was gaping and snapped her mouth shut. "I'm  
sorry... Michiru?" The woman nodded. "I apologize for being rude,  
Michiru. It's just that... you remind me of someone I know. Knew.  
Someone I knew."  
  
"Is that so? Well, who do I remind you of?" Their eyes locked.  
  
Several images flickered through Terri's mind, far too fast for  
Terri to focus on. Suddenly, the air around Terri seemed thicker, more  
viscous, harder to breathe. In direct contrast to the heavy air, her  
body grew lighter, till she thought she would float... or swim...  
upwards. It was almost like being underwater.  
  
Michiru blinked.  
  
With an near-audible snap the world returned to normal.  
  
Terri gasped and stumbled backwards, tripping over her feet.  
Michiru caught her arm, steadied Terri. "Are you all right? No, don't  
try to stay standing. Sit down." She guided Terri to one side of the  
cabin's door and sat her down against the wall. "What happened? You're  
pale! Maybe you should lie back down."  
  
Terri closed her eyes, clenching her hands in an effort to stop  
their shaking. 'Why did I react to her like that? It was like being  
around Minako and the others. Could Hotaru be telling the truth? Can  
Michiru really use magic? But, then, why didn't I react to Hotaru?'  
Aloud, she mumbled, "Deep Submerge."  
  
A wave crashed down with a thunderous roar far louder than the  
previous ones. Terri opened her eyes, and saw Michiru staring at the  
ocean in surprise.  
  
  
Breathe in.  
  
Hands held at her sides. Balanced on her right leg. Left leg bent,  
putting her in the position known as the Reflex Stance. A cold, bitter  
wind howled at her, trying to topple her, but she was granite, silent  
and immobile.  
  
Breathe out.  
  
Even with her eyes closed, she was aware of the environment around  
her. The side of the volcano towered above her on the left, and an  
equally steep drop awaited just a few meters to her right. A slip on  
the treacherous ice could be fatal, but she was not worried. She was a  
redwood, firmly planted and unshakable.  
  
Breathe  
  
She stood like that for a while, unaware of cold or time. Black  
hair whipped freely around, the only sign of movement she showed.  
Finally, her eyes opened.  
  
in.  
  
And, with no warning cry, no sudden shifting of movement, Rei  
launched into her kata.  
  
Her style was unusual, more of a collection of different Arts than  
a single one, all of them blended so seamlessly that no one, outside  
of an expert, would have ever noticed as she switched from one Art to  
the next.  
  
Rei reached the end of her narrow ledge and turned smoothly,  
letting her movements take her back to her starting point.  
  
It had been Minako that had taught Rei, although how and when  
Minako had developed this unique style Rei did not know. Rei wasn't  
even certain she recognized all the styles blended in, although she  
certainly recognized aspects of Kickboxing, Aikido, Jujitsu, and  
several ones that Rei thought Minako had stolen from video games.  
  
Rei drifted to a stop, and stood in silence, feeling the wind  
trying to push her forward. She exhaled. 'I'm too distracted to  
practice. Maybe I should apologize to Mako-chan and Ami-chan.'  
Involuntarily, an image of an enraged Makoto appeared in her mind's  
eye.  
  
'Or... Since I don't want to die, I could wait for Makoto to cool  
down some more.' She pushed several strands of sweaty hair out of her  
eyes, and shifted back to the Reflex Stance. She'd run through the  
kata again, then go apologize.  
  
"Oak Evolution." The words were faint, carried by the wind to Rei's  
ears. Rei reacted instinctively, throwing herself forward into a roll.  
She came out of it in a half-crouch and spun, facing the way she had  
come, scanning the ledges higher up.  
  
No one was there. No attack devastated the ground where she had  
been standing. Frowning, Rei stood. When she waited and still nothing  
happened, Rei sighed and relaxed. "I'm getting paranoid in my old  
age," she muttered.  
  
"Actually, I think you're losing your edge. I'll sharpen it up...  
right now."  
  
Shocked, Rei turned, just in time to intercept a straight punch  
with her face.  
  
Rei reeled backwards and fell. She felt blood running down her chin  
and spat, staining the snow red. She wiped the blood off with the back  
of her hand and glared at her attacker.  
  
Makoto's smile was predatory. She cracked her knuckles as she  
advanced on Rei. "Personally, I've got nothing against ya, since, ya  
know, you were only following Minako-chan's orders. But I still feel  
the need to be vindictive on Ami-chan's behalf."  
  
Rei felt her anger flare. 'She wants to play? Fine! I'll play!' She  
climbed to her feet. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't  
care what you're talking about. I want to see you try and kick my  
ass."  
  
Makoto lifted her arms to either side. "Remember, you said it. Not  
me... Oak Evolution!"  
  
Rei leaped back, teleported in mid-air. She dropped down on a ledge  
overlooking her original one, formed her Flame Sniper, and took aim...  
only to find no one there.  
  
Hands grabbed her arm, and she was slammed face first into the  
volcano wall. "That's twice you've fallen for the same trick," Makoto  
said. The taller woman released Rei and stepped back. "You really  
*are* losing your edge."  
  
Rei staggered to one side and nearly fell, only remaining upright  
by leaning on the wall. She couldn't focus her eyes properly. "Fool me  
once, shame on me," she grated, turning to face Makoto. "Fool me  
twice, die by Fire Soul!"  
  
A ring of fire appeared around Makoto and Rei heard Makoto let out  
a surprised yell. Rei shoved off from the wall, letting out an angry  
shout of her own as she passed harmlessly through the flames and  
tackled Makoto. Makoto easily shoved Rei off, both sprang to their  
feet and circled each other warily, Makoto sticking as close to the  
center of Rei's fire ring as Rei would allow.  
  
A gash had opened in Rei's forehead, just over her right eye, and  
the flow of blood was beginning to blind her. As Makoto circled to  
Rei's right, a strange half-smile on her face, Rei started to think  
that provoking Makoto had been entirely the wrong idea. 'There's  
absolutely no way I can beat her hand to hand. I'm gonna get trashed.'  
  
Rei saw Makoto switch her stance, entered her own defensive  
posture, and felt the ice begin to slide beneath her feet. She had  
only a brief instant to wonder what the Hell was she thinking when she  
used her Fire Soul, and then the ice gave way.  
  
  
Until they expanded out of the main caverns and into the smaller ones,  
the Descendents and their followers were forced to put up with cramped  
conditions. And although personal space couldn't be afforded right  
now, Ami and her crew had blocked off a section for themselves, which  
they rigorously defended.  
  
Minako shifted uncomfortably on her cot. 'One thousand years have  
gone by and humanity *still* can't make a decent hospital bed.' With a  
disgusted growl, she stretched out on her back and flung her right arm  
over her eyes. Maybe darkness would help her sleep.  
  
She heard footsteps and listened. Whoever was approaching had an  
injury, it sounded like they were limping, rather badly, on their  
right leg. The person stopped beside Minako's cot. "Well, I'm glad  
somebody gets to lay down on the job," Rei said.  
  
Minako smiled. "Your sarcasm wounds me, Rei-chan. What happened to  
you?"  
  
"Mako-chan happened to me," the psychic said, but with more  
annoyance than anger. "Ambushed me while I was out doing my kata, and  
nearly got the both of us killed when we fell down the side of the  
volcano. And when we finally did stop moving, she had the gall to tell  
me that I was stupid for blindly obeying *your* orders! What the Hell  
did you tell her?"  
  
"That I was the one that made the decision to put that block in  
Ami's head."  
  
"That's it?!"  
  
"I told her as much of the truth as she needs to know for now,"  
Minako said calmly. "Would you rather I told her the 'why' behind my  
decision? Because, if you want me to, I'll tell her everything you  
did, right now. Every little dirty detail. And then they'll understand  
why I won't take chances with our powers running amok."  
  
She sensed Rei stiffen. "You will never let me forget, will you?"  
Rei said softly. "Why?"  
  
"Because so long as you remember what you did, you can't cause  
another Chicago."  
  
The silence that followed that statement was one of the most  
anguished that Minako had encountered in her life.  
  
Something wet landed on Minako's arm. Before she could brush it  
off, she felt Rei's hair sweep across her skin as the other woman sat  
down on the ground, her back braced against the cot, her head resting  
against Minako's left shoulder. "Dammit, Minako-chan," Rei whispered.  
  
Minako moved her left arm, loosely hugged Rei with it. "I'm sorry,  
Rei- chan."  
  
"I hate you." Minako's arm was still getting wet.  
  
Minako removed her other arm from her eyes, and stared up at  
nothing. "Sometimes, I hate myself, too."  
  
  
A short distance from the two women, Ami turned away, silently hoping  
that her computer at the Tokyo Tower base hadn't been destroyed by  
Venus' invasion. She had some research to do.  
  
  
Jupiter leaned against the balcony of Her rooms, gazing out at the  
city. '*My* city,' She thought with a half-smile. Voices drifted up to  
Her, deep in argument. She looked down, where the elaborate gardens  
spread out from the base of the Palace. 'Ahh... Venus has returned.'  
The Senshi of beauty and the Senshi of magic were knee-deep in a  
highly animated 'discussion.'  
  
Although Jupiter could have listened in on the conversation  
occurring fifty meters below, She chose not to, instead deciding to  
merely watch the outcome.  
  
Eventually, Mars threw Her hands up and stalked into the palace in  
either disgust or rage, probably both. Venus glared after Her, shouted  
"How *dare* You insinuate that I fear Minako!? Get back here!" and ran  
after Mars.  
  
Silence once again descended on the gardens and, after a moment, a  
small, yellow-feathered finch landed on the railing. Jupiter  
straightened and held out a hand, careful to keep Her movements slow.  
  
The finch, head tilted as it studied the pro-offered hand,  
twittered and then, after a moment's hesitation, hopped/flew to  
Jupiter's hand.  
  
Jupiter lifted Her other hand, gently stroked the downy head.  
  
The bird suddenly shrilled loudly and took off, spiraling down  
towards the gardens. Jupiter frowned slightly as She turned around.  
"Must You do that?"  
  
The sunlight failed to fully illuminate the shadowy areas of  
Jupiter's room, where a silent figure stood. Even Jupiter's keen eyes  
could barely make out the tips of black boots, although the staff was  
clearly visible.  
  
Pluto said nothing, Her silence as heavy and thick as a blanket.  
  
Jupiter returned to Her position at the balcony. "We agreed to meet  
at the Timegate. Why the change?"  
  
"Events are happening. I wish to observe them." Pluto's voice was  
like Her expression, so devoid of emotion that it bordered on cold.  
  
"You could easily do that through that orb of Yours. I repeat, why  
the change?"  
  
Again, Pluto said nothing.  
  
Jupiter glanced over Her shoulder, and was startled to see that Her  
fellow Senshi now stood only a meter or so away, although Jupiter  
hadn't heard Her move. Eyes that reminded Jupiter of congealing blood  
bore twin holes into Jupiter's own.  
  
Jupiter looked away swiftly, and silently chided Herself on being  
nervous. To cover Herself, She said, "Venus said that Mercury and Ami  
have merged into a single being again. Is it true, then? That the  
Descendants were originally Our Avatars?"  
  
"If that is what You believe."  
  
Jupiter rounded on Pluto. "What I believe? Tell Me the truth! Are  
they?"  
  
Pluto was inscrutable. "Truth is Your providence, Jupiter. Not  
Mine."  
  
Again, Jupiter dropped Her gaze first.  
  
Gripping the balustrade tightly, Jupiter said, "They must be  
stopped, before it is too late, and stopping Terri is the key to doing  
that. Is she still alive?"  
  
Pluto leaned on the balcony next to Jupiter. Her staff was gone. "I  
cannot answer that."  
  
"Why not?" Jupiter was aware that She sounded childish, but in the  
eyes of Pluto, Jupiter *was* a child.  
  
"Knowing the answer to that question would effect Your future  
decisions."  
  
Jupiter's voice was dry. "And We mustn't do anything that changes  
the future, must We?" She sobered. "Then tell Me where the Descendents  
are."  
  
"No."  
  
Jupiter lost Her temper. "Dammit, Pluto, I didn't call You here to  
be told 'No!' I want an answer!"  
  
Pluto straightened abruptly and turned away. She lifted a hand and  
grasped Her staff from the air. "Summon Me when Your need is an  
important one."  
  
Jupiter growled an oath. "They killed Our Sister!"  
  
Pluto stopped. "Is that supposed be of concern to Me?" Her tone  
indicated that She was truly curious.  
  
"Of course it is! Any one of Us could be next, even You!"  
  
Pluto turned Her head slightly. "Death, like Time, is inevitable,  
Jupiter. Why do You fight against it?"  
  
Jupiter hesitated, but only briefly. "Because I do not wish to die.  
I fear death... because I fear what will happen to Me if I die. I do  
not want to become a mere shadow in the background of some human's  
mind, like Mercury is now. That place was Hell to Me, and I *refuse*  
to return to that existence."  
  
"Was it truly that horrible for Them?" Pluto said, but so quietly  
that Jupiter wasn't sure She had heard correctly.  
  
The Senshi of Time almost, but not quite, shook Herself. "I will  
tell Mars to prepare to head north, to the D-point. On Your orders, of  
course."  
  
Jupiter stared at Pluto's back. "Why Mars?" And why the sudden  
change of attitude, but Jupiter refrained from asking that.  
  
"Would You rather that I send Venus? She does not care much for  
Minako." The cool detachment was back in Pluto's voice, giving it a  
sardonic edge.  
  
"And Her prejudice towards Her counterpart would interfere with  
rational thinking," Jupiter said grudgingly. She folded Her arms. "It  
is good to see You are cooperating. Her majesty, Queen Serenity, was  
beginning to wonder who's side You were on."  
  
Something close to a laugh escaped the elder. "I am, as I have  
always been, as I always will be, on the side of Time. That is My only  
alliance. Everything else, and everyone else, are merely things to  
make My observations that much more interesting." She looked at  
Jupiter. "And I wish to observe first hand the very interesting events  
that are about to transpire."  
  
Pluto stamped the haft of the staff on the ground, and She was  
gone.  



	12. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
Chapter 12 -  
  
  
Ami stared down at the cup of hot tea held between her hands,  
wondering how long till the purification systems were up and running,  
since the bottled water wouldn't last forever.  
  
'I should have had Minako-chan bring a couple of the portable water  
purifiers with her, then we could have had fresh water immediately,  
instead of planning to use whatever facilities Beryl may have left  
behind. Of course, I probably wasn't in the correct frame of mind to  
give the necessary orders while we were evacuating.'  
  
She smiled ruefully. And while she was thinking about stuff she  
should have brought, how about adding a new wardrobe, a queen-sized  
bed, a spa, and her library to her mental list? And a couple of space  
heaters. And a very strong drink. Preferably scotch. Or whiskey. Or  
something stronger than whiskey. What was stronger than whiskey? Maybe  
Rei would know.  
  
No, wait. She couldn't ask Rei. Talking to Rei would remind Ami  
about the thing Ami was desperately trying to forget.  
  
Ami winced and sipped her tea. It was lemon tea. She hated lemon  
tea. Why couldn't it be green tea? Makoto had been growing green tea.  
Why hadn't she brought some of it?  
  
"What time is it?" Someone muttered nearby.  
  
Ami looked up, dreading what she find, but too polite to simply  
ignore the voice.  
  
Rei stared blearily down at Ami from across the table. Other than a  
few thin lines of paler flesh along her arms, Rei showed no obvious  
signs of earlier trip down the volcano's side.  
  
"Three in the morning," Ami said thickly.  
  
Rei grunted and walked away, headed for the stove and the big pot  
of food cooking on one of the ranges. This area, a small clearing in a  
veritable maze of canvas that had been erected, was one of three  
cafeterias for people who, like Ami, spent most of their time being  
nocturnal.  
  
How unfortunate that, at this particular time, the only two people  
up and about were Rei and Ami herself.  
  
'Vodka. That's the alcohol I'm thinking of. Definitely vodka.'  
  
Rei set a bowl on the table and sat down. "Where's Mako-chan?"  
  
"Sleeping."  
  
"Voluntarily?"  
  
'As voluntarily as a couple of grams of diazepam could make her.'  
Ami took a swallow of her tea. "Not entirely."  
  
"Can't say she didn't deserve it." She ate some of the yellowish  
substance in her bowl and made a face. "I wish stuff wouldn't taste  
like it looked."  
  
Ami made a sound of acquiescence. Rei gave Ami an odd look, then  
shrugged and continued eating. She ate about half the bowl before she  
said, "So what are you waiting for?"  
  
Caught off guard, Ami looked up in surprise. "What?"  
  
Rei kept eating. "I'm too tired to yell back, Ami-chan, so you'll  
never get a better chance to tear into me."  
  
"'Tear into?' Oh... you mean for me to..." Ami hesitated, and  
looked at Rei. "Actually, Rei-chan, I believe I should apologize for  
my earlier behavior. I... I... jumped to conclusions before I fully  
understood the reasons behind your behavior. I'm very sorry."  
  
To Ami's surprise, Rei started to laugh. "I guess I should've  
expected that," she said when she had calmed down some. She patted  
Ami's hand. "It's okay, Ami-chan. It's no big deal."  
  
'Oh, Rei-chan, but it is.' Ami took a deep breath. "Rei-chan..."  
  
"Yep?"  
  
"I know what happened in Chicago."  
  
Rei's spoon froze halfway to her mouth. A complex array of emotions  
flashed across her face, before settling on disconcerting blankness.  
"Is that so?" She kept eating.  
  
Ami stared at her, Rei's sudden lack of expression more upsetting  
than any of the emotional outbursts that Ami had expected. Disturbed,  
Ami looked down at her tea. "I guess I shouldn't have pried, but, what  
was I supposed to do? I was angry. Angry at you, angry about what you  
did, angry about the fact that you never told us. I just wanted to  
know why."  
  
"And when you found out why?" Rei asked softly.  
  
Ami couldn't look up. Numbers ran through her mind. Forty-eight  
dead. Two hundred sixteen injured. Ami's hands tightened. "Now I want  
to know why you did it."  
  
Rei sighed and set her spoon down. She laced her fingers together.  
"What do you want me to tell you, Ami-chan?"  
  
"I don't understand. Rei-chan, what are you talking a-"  
  
Rei leaned across the table, staring intently at Ami. "What  
conceivable reason could I give you that would put your mind at ease?  
How can I justify the murder of nearly fifty people? *What* do you  
want me to tell you?"  
  
Pinned by Rei's stare, Ami tried to come up with something,  
floundered, and remained silent. Seeing this, Rei backed off, leaning  
back in her chair. "Why did I do it?" She shrugged. "Somebody probably  
pissed me off. Or maybe I just couldn't handle grief. Losing my  
grandfather and my best friend in the same year's kinda tough." She  
was silent for a moment. "But whatever the reason the result was the  
same: I lost control of my own power."  
  
Ami's mouth was dry. She sipped her tea, which was pointless since  
it was cold. "That... is a lot of fire to lose control of."  
  
Rei laughed humorlessly. "Damn straight." She stood, got herself a  
cup of tea, and sat back down. "Anyway, we have Minako-chan to thank  
for stopping me. While I was in the process of creating the second  
Chicago Fire, she hunted me down, stuck a gun to my head, and told me  
that if I didn't get a hold on myself, she'd aerate my brain."  
  
Ami spluttered. "She did *what?!*"  
  
"She stuck a gun to my head and told me-," Rei said, much to  
calmly.  
  
"I-I know what you said, but where did she get a gun? And what was  
she doing in Chicago? All of the records say she was in Greece!"  
  
Rei stared into her tea, probably wishing that she, too, had  
something stronger to drink. "Minako-chan's job as a model was a  
cover, an excuse she used for being able to travel freely across the  
globe. Her real job was as a Black Ops Special Agent for PUMA."  
  
"The political organization responsible for the creation of the  
United World Nation?"  
  
"One and the same."  
  
"I wasn't aware they had a covert operations division."  
  
"Ami-chan..." Rei shook her head, faintly amused. "I'm sure that if  
you had known about them, they probably would have killed you pretty  
fast." Rei drank some tea.  
  
Ami said, "The mental block in my brain."  
  
"Was put in after I regained my sanity and returned to Japan," Rei  
confirmed, nodding. "There's one in each of us." She set her cup down.  
"Does knowing the 'why' of it make it easier to accept?"  
  
Ami sighed. "It does, yes. I just wish you had told us earlier.  
Don't you trust us?"  
  
"I trust all of you, even Minako-chan although she makes me want to  
kill her sometimes." She ran a finger along the edge of her cup. "I  
guess... I wanted to spare you guys the guilt of knowing that you were  
friends with a homicidal maniac."  
  
"Rei-chan..."  
  
Rei laughed suddenly and smiled ruefully at Ami. "And speaking of  
homicidal maniacs, would you be willing to break all of this to Mako-  
chan?"  
  
  
  
"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" Michiru asked again.  
  
Terri smiled at her hostess and nodded. "I'll be fine, Michiru-san.  
I was just a little dizzy. Probably got out of bed too fast." The use  
of the old Japanese honorific came easily to Terri, and it surprised  
her that it seemed almost natural to add it Michiru's name. Michiru  
didn't seem to mind, either, probably because her own accent was  
nearly as thick as the Descendants.  
  
Michiru stared briefly at Terri, but did nothing to point out  
Terri's lie. Instead, she said, "Then I'll let you meet your friends  
in private. They should still be down at the beach."  
  
The path they stood on branched off into two different directions.  
Michiru would be heading down the right path, towards the stables,  
where Terri could already see a group of people gathered about. Terri  
would keep straight until she ran into the beach.  
  
Movement caught Terri's eyes. She turned her head, and saw another  
woman approaching them. But not just any woman.  
  
'A Senshi?! *Here?!*' Terri opened her mouth to scream a warning.  
  
The Senshi looked directly at Terri, and the scream died in her  
throat. The world around her seemed to shrink, everything fading till  
the only thing she became aware of were blood-red eyes boring into her  
own.  
  
The Senshi spoke. "Do you know who I am?"  
  
"You're Sailor Pluto," Terri said without hesitation.  
  
"I am many things," Sailor Pluto said. "However, for the time  
being, I am not your enemy. Is this understood?"  
  
Terri nodded. "Yes. Of course. You're not my enemy."  
  
"There are two people on this island with whom you are capable of  
forging a magical link with, a link that is similar to the one you  
share with Hino Rei. Although you will not be consciously aware of it,  
you will set about forging those links with Ten'oh Haruka and Kaioh  
Michiru. You will do so in such a way that neither you nor they will  
be aware of them. However, you will not activate the links until you  
receive the sign to do so."  
  
Terri frowned in concentration. "I... understand. What is the  
sign?"  
  
Pluto pointed skywards. "The Phoenix and the Dragon." Terri looked  
up, puzzled, then back at Pluto.  
  
"One last instruction. Very soon now, you will see Me walking  
towards you. You will not know Me. In fact, you will not consciously  
remember that this discussion took place. Is this understood?"  
  
"We never talked because I've never met you before," Terri agreed  
amiably.  
  
Pluto smiled and-  
  
Movement caught Terri's eyes. She turned her head, saw another  
woman approaching them, and had the sudden overwhelming feeling that  
she had been through all of this before. 'Must be the heat,' she  
thought, baffled.  
  
"Setsuna," Michiru said, smiling brightly as the newcomer joined  
them. "I don't believe you've met Terri-chan, yet." To Terri, "Terri-  
chan, I'd like you to meet Meioh Setsuna."  
  
"A pleasure to meet you, Setsuna-san." Terri bowed slightly.  
  
Setsuna smiled warmly. "The pleasure is all mine, Terri-san." Their  
eyes met.  
  
For a brief moment, Terri had the oddest sensation that she should  
be afraid of Setsuna. But that was silly; Setsuna wasn't an enemy.  
Terri blinked rapidly, and realized that Michiru was looking at her  
expectantly. Quickly, she tried to recall the last thing that had been  
said. "Uh... yes. I think I should be going, now." She started to turn  
away.  
  
Setsuna called out, "Don't forget what I said, Terri-san."  
  
Without knowing why, Terri shuddered.  
  
  
  
The structure of ice was impressively tall, and the magic that had not  
only built it but had sustained it through centuries of ice and snow  
storms was equally impressive. Mars would have given quite a bit to  
know who was capable of such strong magic.  
  
Mars looked behind Her. About a kilometer away was another  
structure, this one more like a spire, and it was even taller than the  
one She currently stood on.  
  
Mars turned towards the volcano in the distance and frowned. What  
*had* happened here?  
  
Well, it didn't matter. It wasn't Mars' job to figure that out. Her  
job was to deal with those irritable Descendants.  
  
Mars settled Herself on the ice, sitting lotus-style, and tried to  
make Herself comfortable. This was going to take a while.  
  
  
  
"TEEEEERRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Terri stopped her cloud-watching, looking around her in time to be  
tackled by a blue-haired barefoot streak of silliness. She hit the  
sand with a startled "Oof!"  
  
"Oh, God, Terri! I was so worried about you! I mean, after they  
split us up and I didn't know where they put you and Shouji was gone  
and I couldn't see and then I could see but then the cruiser blew up  
and I didn't know where we were 'cause there was nothing but snow-"  
Kiyomi inhaled "-and there was soooooooooooo much snow and all we did  
was walk around and then you guys were gone and I passed out and then  
I woke up and we were here and I'm so happy to see you!" Kiyomi  
grinned brightly down at Terri from her position on Terri's lap.  
  
Terri managed a groan.  
  
Kiyomi gasped. "Oh, no! I didn't hurt you, did I?"  
  
"Ow..."  
  
Kiyomi scooted over to Terri's side and hauled Terri into a sitting  
position. She carefully examined her. "You look okay... Maybe you hit  
your head? How many fingers am I holding up?" She waved her hands in  
front of Terri's face.  
  
Terri caught her hands. "Kiyomi."  
  
"Yes, Terri?"  
  
"If you ever so much as think of tackling me again, I'm going to  
kill you. Okay?"  
  
Kiyomi stared at her silently. Slowly, her eyes begin to fill with  
tears.  
  
"Oh, great. Kiyomi, don't start cry-"  
  
"I'm SORRY!" Kiyomi threw her arms around Terri's neck and started  
sobbing into Terri's shoulder. "I'll never do it again! I promise!"  
  
Terri gritted her teeth. "Kiyomi... Kiyomi! Kiyomi, cut it out!"  
  
Kiyomi pulled away, sniffling. "I'm sorry." Sniff. "It's just-"  
Sniff. "-I'm *so* happy-" Sniff. "-to see you!" Sniff sniff sniffle.  
  
Terri's smile was strained. "I'm happy to see you, too, Kiyomi. And  
I'm happy that you're happy to see me, but can you be just a tad  
less-"  
  
"Hyperactive?"  
  
"Zealous," Terri said firmly, but she smiled to soften her words.  
"You do get a little carried away sometimes."  
  
Kiyomi laughed. "Yeah, I guess I do." She sobered, though, and  
started to study Terri intently.  
  
Terri blinked at her friend's switch in behavior. "Um... Kiyomi? Is  
something wrong?" Terri frowned, and poked Terri in the chest. Terri  
jumped. "Hey! What're you doing?!"  
  
Kiyomi smirked. "I knew it. You're not wearing a bra!"  
  
"WHAT?!" Terri's blush must have gone all the way to the ends of  
her hair.  
  
"Well," Kiyomi drawled. "You were kinda bouncy when you were  
walking down here. And I must say that I'm surprised. I would've never  
pictured you as being the braless type."  
  
Terri stammered incoherently and stood, face so hot she thought  
that, at any moment, she'd burst into flames. "Where's Shouji?" she  
squeaked eventually.  
  
Kiyomi rose more gracefully, still smirking. She casually brushed  
sand off of her dress. "Oh, he's out in the water, reliving his  
childhood. Why? You wanna show him how 'perky' you are, too?"  
  
"Cut it out, Kiyomi!" But she laughed. She hadn't seen Kiyomi this  
happy since... since... 'Since we entered that subway tunnel.' She  
headed for the water's edge, Kiyomi keeping pace beside her. "Say,  
Kiyomi?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"How exactly did we escape from Mercury? I don't remember."  
  
Kiyomi looked at her strangely. "I told you. The cruiser blew up."  
  
"Blew up? How did that happen?"  
  
Kiyomi paused to pick up a handful of sand. "I don't know. Probably  
an engine blew and- Blam!" She scattered the sand out ahead of them.  
"Of course, I didn't see the actual explosion. Heard it, though. Felt  
it, too. And from what I heard and felt, I think it's a miracle we  
survived the thing. Shouji said the cruiser was this big, burning mess  
behind us."  
  
"Behind us? What were we doing in front of it?"  
  
Kiyomi gave Terri the strange look again, then she shrugged. "I  
don't know how we got there. It's bizarre. Shouji said that one moment  
the cruiser was coming apart at the seams, and then the next thing he  
knows the three of us are standing in the snow watching the sucker  
turn into a big pile of melted slag. He also said that you were acting  
really strange, not talking or anything. You just started walking, so  
we sorta trailed along."  
  
Terri frowned. "I don't remember any of this."  
  
"Don't worry about it. Look. There's Shouji!" She waved. "Shouji!  
Look who I found!"  
  
Shouji, clad in only a pair of cut-off shorts, rose from the sand  
and waved back, a huge grin on his face. "Terri! I'm glad to see you  
are all right."  
  
Terri laughed. "Everybody keeps saying that. You guys are making me  
think I was about to die or something."  
  
Shouji and Kiyomi exchanged a look. Terri blinked and looked at  
them, suddenly uneasy. "I wasn't going to die... was I?"  
  
Kiyomi sidled over to Shouji and whispered something in his ear.  
Shouji stared at Terri for a long, uncomfortable moment, and said,  
"You might wanna wear a bra with that shirt, Terri." Kiyomi grinned  
and took off running.  
  
"Kiyomi! I'm gonna *kill* you!"  
  
  
  
"Sleep  
Dream  
Remember  
What you once were.  
  
"Lives lost  
Lives lived  
Relive  
Through the dream.  
  
"Past strengthen  
Present fade  
Reality slumber  
Only dreams are real.  
  
"The past comes alive  
Remember  
Dream  
Sleep."  
  
  
Sleep  
  
Makoto leaned against the wall, using her knife to clean her  
fingernails, listening intently as footsteps approached, passed her,  
and faded into the distance. Across from her, a man slumped against  
the ground, seemingly asleep. The instant the last footfalls vanished,  
the man lifted a hand and knocked on the wall behind him.  
  
Above her, a head poked out of a window. "Myrmidon?" A constable  
this close could make leaving the scene of the crime considerably  
harder.  
  
"Mobility," she answered sharply. Slipping her knife into the  
sheath hidden in her sleeve, she turned, grabbed the hand stretched  
towards her, and scrambled up the wall and through the window. She  
crouched below the window. "Well?"  
  
The boy flashed her a smile, teeth bright in the darkness. "The  
Oak's out like you said, old hand."  
  
Makoto whacked the boy on the head. "Shut up. You wanna get caught  
and die of hempen fever?" The boy shook his head rapidly. Makoto  
stood. "Then find the iron and drop 'em to the family man." She jerked  
her head towards the window.  
  
They split up and begin to move through the rooms, Makoto picking  
up things of value and stuffing them into the sack she carried.  
Whoever lived here was of considerable wealth, which was why she had  
chosen to break in here in the first place.  
  
She was considering breaking open a small chest, when the boy  
squealed "Mort!"  
  
Makoto ran back to the original room, which was suddenly lit by a  
lamp set on a table. She froze when she saw the woman holding the boy  
by the scruff of his collar. Makoto scowled. "Alethea. How nice to  
see you."  
  
"Is this one your's, Faith?" Makoto's twin gestured to the boy with  
her free hand.  
  
"He is. And don't call me that," Makoto growled. They stared at one  
other coldly. The silence was broken by the boy's snicker. "Faith!?  
You've got a girl's name?"  
  
Makoto pinned him with a glare. "You. Shut up."  
  
Alethea smiled down at the boy. "Well, of course she has a girl's  
name, hon. What do you think she is?"  
  
The boy goggled. "You mean... He's a..." He stared wide-eyed at  
Makoto. "You're a mort!"  
  
"I thought I told you to shut up," Makoto said angrily. She  
glowered at Alethea. "You gonna cry beef?"  
  
"Why would I do that, Faith?" She released the boy, who scrambled  
over to cower behind Makoto. "Despite your... questionable choice of  
careers, you are still my sister. I'll let you and your companions go,  
so long as you return the things you and your male friend there have  
already stolen." She politely inclined her head towards the doorway.  
  
Grumbling under her breath, Makoto handed her sack to the boy. "Do  
as she says. And be quick!" The boy scurried off, still giggling.  
  
Makoto leaned against the doorframe. Alethea inspected her hands.  
"So..." Makoto said slowly. "How's the academy?"  
  
"It's going well. The girls are doing very well at their studies."  
  
Makoto snorted. 'I can bet. And she calls my line of work  
questionable.'  
  
Silence.  
  
"Is that boy your-"  
  
"Rum bob." Meaning that he was Makoto's apprentice, and a skilled  
one at that. Alethea nodded and looked outside. "Your family man is  
still there. Should I tell him to leave?"  
  
"He'll leave on his own."  
  
The boy returned, tripped over Makoto's foot and sprawled on the  
floor. Makoto picked him up, carrying him easily under her arm like a  
sack. "Well, I guess we'll be leaving. By the door." She turned  
around.  
  
"You know, Faith, the girls miss you. They still wonder when 'Aunt  
Faith' is going to come back."  
  
Makoto flashed her sister an insincere smile. "It's nice to know  
you still know your slang, Abbess." The boy giggled. Makoto punched  
him in the back of the head. "Quiet!"  
  
'Great. Now I'm never gonna live this one down...'  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
All of the gibberish spoken during Mako-chan's scene I got from the  
Lexicon of Thieves Cant (compiled by Shaun Hately). Here's the  
meanings of all the words I used.  
  
Abbess - the mistress of a brothel  
Academy - brothel  
Aunt - a prostitute or someone who procures prostitutes.  
cry beef - to "cry beef" is to give an alarm  
family man - a receiver of stolen goods  
gibberish, slang - Thieves cant  
hempen fever - a person who has been hanged is said to have died of  
"hempen fever."  
iron - money  
Mobility - A commoner  
Mort - a woman  
Myrmidon - a constable  
Oak - a rich person  
Old hand - an experienced thief  
rum bob - a skilled apprentice thief.  
  
And by the way, Alethea is Greek for Truth.  
  
And another one bites the dust. *singing* And another one. Another  
one. Another one bites the dust. Okay, I'll stop.  
  
Anyway, onward to Chapter 13! 


	13. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
Chapter 13 -  
  
  
Rei walked through the maze of canvas that occupied nearly all of the  
crater's available space. Tomrrow, or later today, rather, they would  
begin expanding into the side tunnels and, hopefully, making a decent  
base out of the long-extinct volcano. She risked a glance at Ami, and  
laughed at the shock still present on her friend's face. "Still  
stunned, huh?"  
  
Ami looked at Rei. "'Stunned' is a definite understatement. Exactly  
where was I while all of this secret agent business was going on?"  
  
Rei grinned. "Where else? You were in Germany, finishing your  
residency."  
  
Ami shook her head, and laughed. "Really? Well, the next time you  
two wander off on your own, I believe I'll tag along." She smiled  
mischevously at Rei. "What else did she do that I'm not aware of?"  
  
"Well-"  
  
Remember  
  
Rei stopped immediately. "That was Mars's voice! Where-"  
  
Rei ran through the battlefield, dodging some adversaries, killing  
those that refused to leave her path, the sense of heavy foreboding  
driving her on ever faster. Hyu was in danger.  
  
A massive youma loomed in front of her, blocking her path. Shaped  
like a huge bear, the demon roared and charged her. Rei slid to a  
stop, sheathing her sword. 'I have no time for this.' She  
clapped both hands together. "Fire Bomb!" The youma's fur ignited, and  
it crashed to the ground, its momentum forcing its bulk to slide along  
the blood-soaked grass towards her.  
  
Rei swore and somersaulted over the burning hulk, landing lightly  
on her feet. Sparing the dying youma the barest of glances, she  
sprinted off.  
  
"Hino-sama!" A horse came up from behind her, and its rider slowed  
its pace to match hers.  
  
Rei kept running. "I thought I told you to stay at the village."  
  
The rider, a girl barely fourteen years of age, looked down at Rei.  
"I couldn't just stay there. I wanted to help."  
  
They crested a hill, and Rei stopped, glaring up at the girl. "And  
how the hells were you going to do that, Yuki? You don't know how to  
fight!"  
  
"It just so happens that I'm the best archer in the village." She  
patted her bow.  
  
Rei snorted. "None of which counts for shit because you're a girl."  
  
"So are you!"  
  
Rei scanned the area around them. "I had no choice. I'm the only  
person that can pass on my family's school of martial arts. Once Hyu  
and I marry, though, I'm going to settle down and become a good wife,  
like I've always wanted to be."  
  
"You're taking an awfully long time to marry him, aren't you, Hino-  
sama?" Rei colored, but said nothing. Yuki drawled, "After all, the  
legend of Suzuka Hyu-sama, the lightening Blade, and his companion  
Hino Rei-sama, the Red Ninja, has only been circulating for the past  
ten years. How old are you anyway, Hino-sama?"  
  
"Twenty-eight. But that's not important!" Seeing no sign of Hyu,  
Rei rounded on the girl. "The point is that- Down!"  
  
Rei grabbed the girl's shirt, hauling her off the horse as another  
youma, this one like a giant flying raven, sank talons into the  
terrified horse's back. Screeching, it flapped its great wings and  
flew off, the horse kicking and screaming in its grip.  
  
Rei sighed and looked down at Yuki. "Still want to help?"  
  
"Lightening Blade!" The blast struck Rei in the back, knocking her  
forwards. She tumbled down the hill, sliding to a stop at the base.  
Climbing slowly to her feet, she looked up at the hilltop. "Hyu!"  
  
Her love stood where she had, his trademark katana Kiken held in  
his hand. In his other he held Yuki by her throat. The hapless girl  
struggled in his grip, but Rei knew firsthand how strong he was.  
Unless she did something he would easily snap Yuki's neck.  
  
"Hyu! Let her go!" Why was he doing this?  
  
Slowly, Hyu turned to look at her, his normally deep brown eyes  
alight with green fire.  
  
Possession.  
  
Rei started to draw her sword, then stopped. She couldn't attack  
Hyu. But, then, how was she going to stop him? She was no priestess,  
she couldn't exorcise him. 'Think, baka!'  
  
Hyu tossed Yuki aside, the girl landing in a limp heap on the  
grass. Gripping his sword in both hands, he pointed it skyward in a  
gesture she had seen him perform many times, although she had never  
been the target. Arcs of lightening flashed from the sky to the blade  
and back again.  
  
'Oh, Hyu, forgive me.' Rei brought her hands in front of her. The  
ground beneath her rumbled. Her hair rose up around her, buoyed up on  
currents of blistering hot wind.  
  
"Heaven's Thunder!"  
  
"Hell's Inferno!"  
  
Rei's legs gave out and she fell face first to the ground, gasping  
in air that she expected to be burning. Behind her, she heard Ami cry  
out sharply.  
  
Rei closed her eyes, forced herself to take deep breaths. Her  
entire body shook, muscles trembling in the aftermath of an attack  
that had never truly happened... had it? Ignoring her desire to  
simply lay there, she slowly forced herself onto her hands and knees.  
"Ami-chan?"  
  
"Un?" Ami's voice sounded weaker than Rei felt.  
  
Rei tried to swallow and failed. Her mouth felt like a desert. "You  
okay?"  
  
"I'm not sure."  
  
Rei sat up, feeling only slightly dizzy. Whatever had happened must  
be passing. She looked over at Ami, and saw that her friend sat  
against the tunnel wall. "It happened to you to, ne?"  
  
Ami nodded, winced, and put a hand to her temple. "What was it?"  
  
Rei joined her by the wall. "I don't know. But that voice... Mars  
is here. I don't know why I didn't sense her before, but she is  
definitely here." Rei gritted her teeth and stood. "We need to tell  
MInako-chan and Mako-chan. Do you think they're still a-" She broke  
off as she sensed a close range teleport. She smirked, "Speak of the  
devil..." and turned around.  
  
Makoto snorted. "Don't compare me to yourself, Rei-chan."  
  
Rei ignored the jibe. "Mako-chan, something really strange is going  
on."  
  
"So it happened to you, too, huh?" When both Ami and Rei nodded,  
Makoto sighed. "Well, that blows my theory to shreds."  
  
Ami stood, using the wall as a brace. "What do you mean?"  
  
Makoto looked from Ami to Rei and back to Ami. "At first, I thought  
I was the only one having nightmares, so I was gonna check with some  
other people. But everybody's asleep and nothing I do wakes them up. I  
was beginning to think I was the only one awake."  
  
Ami gasped. Rei felt a thin ribbon of dread beginning to unspool in  
her stomache. "What about Minako-chan?"  
  
Makoto's face gave away her answer before she even spoke. "When I  
said 'everybody', I meant 'everybody'... Minako-chan included."  
  
  
Yoko kept her head bowed low, sureptiously watching the discussion  
taking place before her. Her hands were tucked into the sleeves of her  
robe, which was a far darker blue than the one she had been wearing  
before entering the chamber. The fabric was better, too, softer, more  
fine, and of a slightly different cut. Venus insisted that all of Her  
followers were dressed in a manner befitting their status as servants  
of the Senshi of love and beauty.  
  
Yoko sneered. 'Beauty, yes. Love? Definitely not.'  
  
The room she stood in was octagonal, each crystalline wall tinged  
in the dominant color of a particular Senshi. The floor, like the low  
ceiling, was tiled in white marble, hundreds upon hundreds of eight-  
sided tiles, each as being as Yoko's hand. Strangely, there was not a  
door in sight, although Yoko distinctly remembered walking through a  
door to reach here. She had stared through the walls, but all she had  
seen was a strange thick fog, more like liquid smoke, really. If she  
squinted, she could even make out shapes moving through it. Wherever  
this room was, she didn't think it was in Crystal Tokyo.  
  
Another thing the room lacked was furnishings, a fact that her legs  
sorely lamented. At one point, not daring to sit on the floor, she had  
attempted to lean against the wall behind her, and the resulting wave  
of pain and nausea had almost knocked her out. Only one of the other  
two people in the room had noticed as she had sidled away from the  
golden wall, and the look Venus had given her had chilled Yoko to the  
very core of her being.  
  
With a knowing smile, Venus had turned back to Her discussion with  
Jupiter. Both Senshi stood in the center of the room, and although  
Yoko saw Their lips moving, she heard not a word of Their discussion.  
It was evident, however, that Yoko was the focus of the topic at hand.  
  
Yoko closed her eyes, letting her mind "feel" the magic emanating  
from the walls. This room contained magic. Powerful magic. Magic that  
had, among other things, completely healed Yoko's injuries. 'I must  
find out how the Senshi access this room. I could a lot of things  
here.'  
  
"Yoko."  
  
She jumped, startled out of her thoughts by Jupiter's voice. In her  
haste, she almost brushed her against the obsidian wall behind her.  
She jerked forward a half-pace, and looked up to find Venus smiling  
ferally. Yoko tore her gaze away and said shakily, "Y-yes, Lady  
Jupiter?"  
  
Jupiter nailed Yoko to the floor with hard, green eyes. "Tell Me  
everything that occurred when Mercury was killed. Omit no detail."  
  
Yoko begin immediately, as ordered. Faced with a direct command,  
she should have found lying to be impossible, but, she thought as she  
spoke, certainly Jupiter didn't need to know *every* little detail,  
did She? There had to be some things that were even beneath a Senshi's  
notice, weren't there? Like how Mercury had blamed Yoko for Terri's  
strange behavior. And Yoko's conversation with Terri just prior to  
Mercury's death. And let's not forget Yoko's visit to Venus, either,  
shall we?  
  
When she got to the destruction of the Odyssey, Jupiter waved her  
silent. "That is enough, Yoko." Yoko bowed, but Jupiter wasn't done  
yet. "Venus tells Me that you are somewhat of an expert where  
Mercury's research is concerned. I want you to continue it."  
  
Yoko's heart stopped beating for a minute. "Lady Jupiter?"  
  
Jupiter looked vaguely amused. "Are you incapable of this task,  
Yoko?"  
  
"N-no, Lady Jupiter! Not at all. I was just... surprised that You  
would consider me for such a daunting task. I mean, I'm *hardly* the  
type of person anyone would use for something like this." Even as she  
gushed outwardly, Yoko frowned internally and studied Jupiter. What  
was the Senshi's aim?  
  
Jupiter smiled fractionally. "You have a quick mind, Yoko, and a  
remarkable intelligence not possessed by any of your peers. Venus  
suggested that your abilities would be better applied in this manner,  
and I agreed with Her."  
  
Yoko darted a look at Venus, but She was picking lint off of Her  
skirt.  
  
Jupiter continued. "Because much of the information you will be  
dealing with is classified, I will temporarily be granting you  
level Eight Security clearance. As you are well aware, the only people  
that would make you answerable to would be Venus and Myself." No  
mention of Mars, Yoko realized with a private snicker. Jupiter's eyes  
narrowed. "I trust that you will not abuse the new-found power this  
access also gives you."  
  
Most definitely not a question. "Of course not, Lady Jupiter."  
  
Jupiter's stern expression faded somewhat. "Then I expect a report  
on your progress in three days. You are dismissed."  
  
Yoko bowed, straightened, and realized that she stood alone in her  
bedroom. She looked around slowly. 'I have *got* to find out how They  
do that.'  
  
  
Jupiter gestured, and one wall of the room faded, becoming a bird's  
eye view of Crystal Tokyo. "Well?" Venus asked.  
  
Jupiter glared at the buildings. "For the most part, Yoko told the  
truth. But she left out many details."  
  
Venus chuckled. "What did I tell You? She *is* capable of negating  
Our power."  
  
"She did not 'negate,' Venus," Jupiter said cooly. "She aligned  
herself with My magic, which made her effectively blind to Me. How, I  
am not sure. I am not even certain she is aware of what she has done."  
  
Venus walked into Jupiter's field of vision and didn't quite smirk.  
"So?"  
  
Jupiter scowled. "It is true that she needed closer supervision. It  
was also a... good... idea to give her high-security access, since it  
would therefore be easier to monitor her every move."  
  
Venus was grinning broadly now. "Great. Now say it."  
  
Jupiter glared at Her. "Venus..."  
  
"I am waiting." Jupiter's fingers twitched, itching to wipe that  
arrogant smirk off of Venus's face.  
  
Jupiter growled through gritted teeth. "You were right." She  
glowered darkly and added, "I suppose Your head does have a use other  
than to give most of the population wet dreams."  
  
Venus's laughter was incredibly annoying. Jupiter scowled at the  
view of Crystal Tokyo. "Have I ever fully expressed My dislike of You,  
Venus?"  
  
  
Kiyomi felt the sun soaking into her skin and sighed happily. Living  
underground had done serious damage to her tan, but she fully intended  
to make reparations. She stretched languorously. Thirty minutes for  
her front, then another thirty for her back, and possibly a small  
break while she took a quick swim, then back to the beach for more  
tanning. What a life these people had!  
  
Then Terri ruined the mood by asking, "What are we going to do now,  
guys?"  
  
Kiyomi cracked open one eye and glanced to her right, where Terri  
lay. "Let's stay here."  
  
On Kiyomi's left, Shouji shook his head. "We can't stay here. We've  
got to report back to base, before they decide we're dead."  
  
"That is, if they don't think that already," Terri said sourly.  
  
Kiyomi laughed. "Don't be so glum, Terri! After all, wouldn't it be  
funny if they all thought we were dead and we showed up? They would be  
*so* shocked." She giggled.  
  
Terri looked at her, frowning, and returned her attention to the  
sky. "Actually, I'd hope they wouldn't be surprised at all."  
  
Kiyomi stuck her tongue out at her.  
  
Shouji folded his arms behind his head. "Whether or not they think  
we're dead is moot. We can't surprise them if we can't get home."  
  
Terri nodded. "Any ideas on how we do that?"  
  
Kiyomi sat up and grinned at them. "We walk?"  
  
Terri shot her a look, then looked past her at Shouji. "Any serious  
ideas?" Kiyomi snorted and lay back down.  
  
Shouji scratched his goatee. "Actually, her idea isn't too far-  
fetched. They found us on the ice. Maybe they can take us back to the  
ice and we can walk from there."  
  
"And how are they supposed to get us there?"  
  
"By boat, silly," Kiyomi said.  
  
Terri sat up. "Kiyomi, you're a genius!"  
  
"I am?" She spluttered as Terri stood, spraying her with sand.  
"H-Hey! Terri! Where are you going?"  
  
Terri smiled at them over her shoulder. "To borrow a boat!"  
  
  
Minako's eyes darted back and forth, sometimes moving smoothly, at  
other times twitching fitfully. Her breathing and pulse rate were both  
steady and even. All signs of a normal sleeper, yet she responded to  
neither sound nor light. And she had been in her REM stage far too  
long.  
  
Ami sighed and shook her head. "If she wasn't in REM sleep, I'd  
almost think she was in a coma, but she's not, and neither is anyone  
else I've checked. They're just... asleep. And they'll probably stay  
that way until we get rid of whatever caused them to do this in the  
first place." She turned to look at Makoto and Rei. "Which means  
finding Mars."  
  
"Wherever she is," Makoto muttered. She stopped her pacing long  
enough to look at Rei. "Can't you sense her or something?"  
  
Rei sat on a nearby cot. She glared up at Makoto. "Don't you think  
I would have tried that already?"  
  
"Apparently not, if I asked!"  
  
Ami stood. "Calm down, guys. We won't get anything done if we're  
arguing."  
  
Rei didn't quite scowl down at her hands. "Well, I couldn't sense  
her," She said sourly.  
  
Makoto said angrily, "Dammit! What are we supposed to do? Minako-  
chan's out; Rei-chan can't find Mars, and I can't think of anything."  
She looked at Ami. "So what do we do, Ami-chan?"  
  
Ami rubbed the back of her neck, thinking. "Well, I guess that,  
now-"  
  
"Now, you will deal with Me, Descendants."  
  
  
Terri stopped at the corner of a building, and leaned against it,  
breathing heavily. She was surprised to feel so tired after her walk  
up from the beach. 'I guess I haven't fully recovered my strength  
yet.' She looked around. 'I wonder where Hotaru is. And Michiru-san.  
And... and... Setsuna.' She frowned slightly. Even the name of the  
tall, dark woman made Terri want to shudder. What was it about her,  
anyway?  
  
"You look a little lost, Terri-san."  
  
Terri straightened with a jerk, and for the first time noticed  
Michiru standing nearby. With her was a tall man, easily as tall as  
Makoto if not taller, with short, ash-blonde hair and dark blue eyes.  
He smiled at Terri, winked, and Terri surprised herself by blushing  
furiously. She looked down at the ground, embarrassed. "I... um...  
I... well... I..."  
  
Footsteps. A finger touched her chin, lifted Terri's face until  
they were eye to eye. "You know," Michiru's companion said, "You are  
very cute when you blush." *Very* dark blue eyes. Practically  
bottemless.  
  
"Stop teasing the poor girl, Haruka," Michiru spoke up, but there  
was laughter in her voice. "She's embarrassed enough as it is."  
  
Haruka lowered his hand, and rolled his eyes in mock-irritation. He  
smiled at Terri. "Don't mind Michiru, she gets a little jealous  
sometimes." When Terri didn't answer, his expression became one of  
mild concern. "You really weren't embarrassed, were you?"  
  
"No..." Terri sighed. She was aware that she was smiling goofily,  
but she couldn't seem to stop.  
  
Haruka looked at Michiru. "See, Michiru, she wasn't embarrassed at  
all."  
  
Michiru glanced briefly at Terri. "I don't think she's capable of  
being embarrassed right now." Her voice became coy. "Should I leave  
the two of you alone?"  
  
Terri eeped, and drew another smile from Haruka. "Only if she wants  
us to be alone." He leaned in closer. "Well, do you?"  
  
Terri opened her mouth to answer, and time came to a sudden halt.  
  
Light flared around Haruka, a bright yellow that rivaled the sun in  
its intensity. Behind him, although it should have been swallowed by  
the light Haruka gave off, an aura of blue-green surrounded Michiru.  
  
Slowly, slowly, Terri's eyes moved off of Haruka and latched onto  
Michiru. Something far back in Terri's mind seemed to click as  
something abruptly snapped into place, but before she could figure out  
what had happened her gaze was moving away, and back to Haruka. Again  
came the sensation of something abruptly snapping into place and then-  
  
Terri flushed and looked down again. "Er... I... uh..."  
  
Haruka smiled and moved away, and Terri had to catch herself before  
she fell over. When she felt it was safe to look up again, she saw  
that Haruka and Michiru were walking away.  
  
Suddenly, Terri's entire reason for finding them came crashing  
back. "Um..."  
  
Michiru paused long enough to give Terri a pleasant smile. "Of  
course we'll loan you a boat, Terri-san. Hotaru will help you with  
everything you need."  
  
Terri watched them go, blinking in surprise. Finally, she said,  
"What the *hell* just happened?!" 


	14. 

Life's Lessons   
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor   
  
  
Chapter 14 -   
  
  
"Now you will deal with me, Descendants."   
  
Fire roared.   
  
Ami threw her arms around Minako, using her own power to keep   
Minako, Makoto, and herself from burning. Distantly, she felt Rei's   
own flare of power as she fought fire with fire. An instant later the   
flames were gone. Makoto stood, braced in front of Ami, faint wisps of   
smoke rising from her clothes. Rei was on her knees, sweating and   
panting, but glaring furiously across the cavern at Mars.   
  
The Senshi's face held no expression, but her eyes glittered. "I am   
feeling generous today. Give me Terri Ganabile and the four of you   
will live."   
  
Rei pushed herself up. "You got that backwards, Mars: give us   
Terri-chan, and we'll let *you* live. Maybe."   
  
Anger flickered across Mars' face. "You *dare*-" And then her eyes   
widened in sudden realization. "You do not have her! Pluto has sent me   
here for nothing!"   
  
Ami was stunned. If the Senshi didn't have Terri, then who did?   
This was getting considerably more complicated.   
  
Mars shook her head and lifted her hands. "I shall deal with Pluto   
later. Killing all of you is now my first priority."   
  
"Only if we don't kill you first," Makoto shouted. She and Rei   
leaped at Mars, firing their respective attacks. Mars lifted an   
eyebrow and vanished, the ground where she had stood exploding as   
their combined magic struck the rock. Makoto landed, glaring about   
her. "Mars! Quit hiding and fight us, you coward!"   
  
"That would be too easy." Mars' voice echoed throughout the cavern,   
making it that much harder to locate the source. "I would much rather   
kill you in a much more... fanciful manner." Something far above them   
bellowed. Makoto looked up. "That didn't sound good. Whaddya think   
she's doing?"   
  
Rei frowned. "Only one way to find out."   
  
Makoto smiled ruefully. "I was afraid you'd say that." And she   
vanished.   
  
Ami stood hesitantly. "What about Minako-chan?"   
  
Rei gazed at their still unconscious leader and shook her head.   
"She's safer here than anywhere else." Her eyes focused on Ami.   
"C'mon, Ami-chan. We need your help."   
  
Ami sighed and nodded. Closing her eyes, she concentrated briefly,   
and abruptly a bitter wind shoved her off-balance. She staggered.   
  
Makoto caught her by the arm, steadying her. Ami smiled her thanks,   
but the taller woman's stony gaze was directed upwards.   
  
Ami looked up as well, and a chill unrelated to the cold seized her   
stomach.   
  
A whirling maelstrom of fire dominated the sky above them, twisting   
the air around it in sickly yellow waves. The thick, sluggish churning   
of the thing nauseated Ami; she spun away to lean against the volcano   
wall, retching. From a great distance she heard Makoto say, "What the   
Hell is it that thing?"   
  
Ami risked a glance, saw the thing beginning to blur and shrink. A   
shape was beginning to form, black against sulfur light.   
  
Rei touched Ami's shoulder, but her attention was on the thing   
above them. "That much raw magic... It can only be Mars."   
  
Ami recognized the shape now. Wings extended, hovering   
effortlessly, it gloated at them, muzzle opened in a dolphin's smile   
to reveal row upon row of sharp teeth.   
  
"Oh, shit," Makoto said.   
  
  
  
Terri heard giggling.   
  
Annoyed, she glared upwards. "What's so funny?"   
  
Hotaru sat on the edge of a nearby rooftop, grinning broadly down   
at Terri. "Oh, nothing. I just don't think you should get too attached   
to Haruka. Even if, for some bizarre reason, she and Michiru ever   
broke up, there's a long line of women in front of you."   
  
Terri blushed. "I-I don't have any clue what you're talking about,   
Hotaru."   
  
Hotaru's grin grew broader. "Of course you don't." She dropped   
neatly to the ground and dusted herself off. "You *do* realize that   
Haruka's a woman, right?"   
  
Terri laughed nervously. "That's silly! Haruka-san can't be a   
woman."   
  
Hotaru's eyes flashed mischievously. "Oh, really? And why not?"   
  
"Well... why would another woman flirt with me?"   
  
"Geez, and I thought *I* was naive." She rolled her eyes. "Haruka   
flirts with everyone. She does it to make Michiru jealous." She looked   
up at Terri, eyes momentarily darkening in concern. "You looked a   
little dizzy a couple of minutes ago. Are you feeling any better now?"   
  
Terri shrugged slightly, pondering Hotaru's words. "I guess so. I   
mean, I've got a slight headache, but I don't think it's to serious."   
  
Hotaru snorted. "People always say that. But, still, there's no   
harm in checking. Here, lean down."   
  
Puzzled, Terri bent. Hotaru pressed her fingers to Terri's temples   
and scowled in concentration. Vertigo swam over Terri, and she caught   
herself on Hotaru's shoulders before she fell over. Hotaru made a   
small noise. "A concussion," she muttered. "Pretty nasty one, too. But   
I can fix it..."   
  
Terri gasped sharply as bees of ice burned their way up her spine   
and built a hive inside her skull. She jerked away from Hotaru's   
grasp, holding her head. "What did you do to me?!"   
  
Hotaru was gazing at her hands, flexing her fingers experimentally.   
"Trade secret. For now, let's just say you won't be getting any   
headaches for quite a while."   
  
"Then you *can* use magic!"   
  
Hotaru looked around quickly. Nobody was around, and she sighed in   
relief before glaring at Terri. "I told you to keep it down. We don't   
need people knowing that." She lowered her voice. "And besides, I   
can't really use magic, not in the way that you're thinking of. I just   
have a 'gift.'" Hotaru caught Terri's arm and led her away from the   
buildings. "And that 'gift' is going to get me in serious trouble if   
Michiru hears me talking about it, so let's go see a man about a   
boat."   
  
  
  
The dragon opened its mouth, and fire poured out at them.   
  
"Scatter!" Makoto shouted.   
  
She and Ami dove to either side. Rei leaped onto a higher ledge,   
the fire passing below her to splash harmlessly against the volcano   
wall. The dragon belched fire in her direction. Rei vaulted away,   
leaped again as the fire followed her.   
  
"Supreme Thunder!" Makoto's attack struck it head-on. One amber eye   
focused briefly on her, and then it turned away, paying as much   
attention to Makoto as a horse does to an ant. Shrieking, it breathed   
fire at Rei again, head swiveling to follow her as the psychic   
scrambled away. Makoto swore vehemently; how the heck was she supposed   
to hurt something that shrugged off her attacks? "Ami-chan!"   
  
A Shine Aqua Illusion answered her, swallowing the dragon's right   
wing in frigid water, which quickly froze. Screaming its rage, the   
dragon pumped its other wing furiously, trying to gain air. Finally,   
it glided away, circling around the volcano and out of sight.   
  
Makoto ran to Rei. "What now?"   
  
"I don't know," Rei growled. She scowled and looked at the sky.   
"Let me think for a minute."   
  
"She's coming back around," Ami called out. Visor on, she pointed   
westward. "And, I'm detecting some very strange energy readings coming   
from that direction."   
  
Makoto turned in that direction, squinting. "How strange?"   
  
Ami shook her head. "It's the same energy as the dragon's. If I   
didn't know any better, I'd say Mars was in two places at once."   
  
To Makoto's eyes, something glittered in the distance. "Ami-chan,   
are you sure you're not just picking up-"   
  
"She tricked us!" Rei shouted suddenly. She grabbed Makoto by the   
shoulders. "I should've realized it when I didn't detect Mars in the   
cavern." She pointed overhead. "That dragon's *not* Mars!"   
  
Makoto blinked. "Wait... What?"   
  
Rei shook her head. "That second energy reading you detected, Ami-   
chan, that's really Mars. The dragon's not real."   
  
Makoto pulled free of Rei. "Looks real enough to me."   
  
"That's the whole point. So long as we fight it and not her, she   
can wear us down and kill us at her leisure.   
  
"We need to find out where Mars really is and deal with her   
directly."   
  
"But the dragon-"   
  
"I'll deal with the dragon. Fire can't hurt me. All I have to do is   
keep clear of the talons."   
  
"Rei."   
  
Rei met Makoto's eyes. "Trust me, Mako-chan. Please."   
  
The supposedly unreal dragon chose that moment to swing around the   
other side of the volcano. Immediately, it focused on Rei and dove at   
them, screeching.   
  
Makoto turned away, looked up at the dragon. "Don't die, Rei-chan."   
Louder, "Move it, Ami-chan. She's got that look." Ami hesitated, then   
nodded and dropped over the side of the ledge, making her way lower   
down.   
  
"I'll keep her occupied for as long as I can," Rei said.   
  
Makoto didn't look at her as she walked to the edge. "You better,   
otherwise I'm gonna kick your ass." She stepped off the ledge.   
  
Ami met her as she slid to the bottom. "Do you think Rei-chan will   
be all right?"   
  
Makoto trudged through snow thigh-deep. "No, but that's not our   
problem anymore. Did you get a fix on Mars?"   
  
Ami struggled to catch up. "Yeah, but-"   
  
"We don't have time for buts. Rei-chan's the only thing stopping   
Mars from barbecuing everyone else." Makoto pushed herself into a   
loping run. 'And she knows damn well she can't do it.'   
  
  
Hotaru pointed to one of the buildings. "And that's Reika's house. She   
used to be a cartoon artist for some horrible cartoon in America, but   
after it was cancelled, she started this comic book that was actually   
pretty good. I read it for about four years, and... Ganabile-san? Are   
you listening to me?"   
  
"Yeah, sure," Terri mumbled absently. Farther down the road they   
walked, two people stood talking. One of them laughed and walked away.   
The other turned towards Terri and Hotaru, waiting. Terri stiffened.   
  
Hotaru noticed her reaction. "I see you've met Setsuna."   
  
Terri winced. "I'm... sorry."   
  
"Don't apologize for it. Your reaction to Setsuna's completely   
normal, given what you are."   
  
Terri looked down. "What do you mean 'what you are?'"   
  
Hotaru flushed. "I...uh... that is-" She laughed nervously and ran   
up to Setsuna. "Hi, Setsuna! Beautiful weather, huh?"   
  
Setsuna's eyes flicked down to Hotaru before settling on Terri.   
"The weather is marvelous. I need to talk to Terri-san. Alone."   
  
Hotaru nodded emphatically. "Alone. Of course. Well, I'll just be   
on my way..." She flashed a quick smile in Terri's direction and   
didn't quite run away.   
  
Terri watched Hotaru go, feeling as though she had just missed   
something incredibly important. Shaking her head slightly, she turned   
to Setsuna. "So... um... what did you want to talk to me about,   
Setsuna-san?"   
  
Setsuna's gaze locked onto Terri, trapping her. "Where did you grow   
up, Terri?"   
  
Terri swallowed. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"   
  
Setsuna's eyes were unnerving. "Before you lived in Crystal Tokyo,   
where did you live?"   
  
"I... I can't remember. Minako said that I lost my memories during   
stasis."   
  
"Did she?" Setsuna asked, almost casually. "And did Ami agree with   
her?"   
  
Terri shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know. I didn't ask her."   
  
"Really? You wake up one day, with no recollection of who you once   
were, and you don't even bother to ask why? That's not very normal."   
  
The contempt in Setsuna's words made Terri bristle, breaking her   
momentary paralysis. "I didn't ask for your opinion. If you're done, I   
need find Hotaru again." She stalked past Setsuna.   
  
Setsuna spoke as Terri brushed past her. "Don't you want to know   
about your past, Terri-san? Don't you want to know about *you?* I   
could very easily tell you."   
  
Terri froze immediately. A confusing barrage of emotions swam   
through her, leaving her light-headed, breathless, and completely   
afraid. 'Why? Why am I afraid of her?'   
  
"It's not me you fear, but your own past."   
  
Terri whirled, glaring at Setsuna's back. "Why should I believe   
anything you say? You're a-" And Terri broke off as a sudden,   
intense throbbing settled between her eyes. "I don't know you," she   
whispered.   
  
Setsuna's voice changed in a way that Terri couldn't quite   
identify, but it sent a chill racing up her spine. "You know who I am,   
Terri. And you know who, and what, the Senshi are. I suspect that, on   
some unconscious level, you even know what you are."   
  
Terri backed away, clutching her head. "Shut up!"   
  
Setsuna turned, facing Terri directly. "Mercury died trying to   
discover who you really were. Who else will die because you refuse to   
acknowledge your past?"   
  
Somewhere deep in Terri's mind, a wall trembled.   
  
Makoto was tired, sore, cold, and, after falling into a snow drift,   
very, very wet. She slid to a stop, breathing hard. 'God, I wish I   
didn't have to be someplace before I can teleport there.' Ami trudged   
the last half meter to Makoto's side and collapsed in the snow,   
panting. After frantically gulping air for a minute, she gasped out.   
"I can't hear the battle. Is Rei-chan-"   
  
Makoto smiled as a loud bellow echoed across the wastes. "Still   
alive and pissing that dragon off." She helped Ami to her feet. "This   
the place?"   
  
Ami activated her visor. "Yes." She frowned up at the giant ice   
spire. "I never thought I'd see these things again."   
  
Makoto grimaced. "I never thought I'd live this long," she   
muttered. She looked around. "So where is she?"   
  
"Even in the North Pole there are vermin." Mars interrupted Ami's   
reply. Makoto looked up, to where Mars sat on the spire, calmly   
regarding the duo. "Yeah, well, I didn't think I'd find snakes either,   
Mars! You're lucky I didn't bring a mongoose with me!"   
  
Ami stared at her. "What?" Makoto shot Ami a look.   
  
The Senshi said, "Do you even know what a mongoose is?"   
  
Makoto stiffened. "Oh, that's it. You're dead!" The Oak Evolution   
tore through the air, exploding against the spire. Clouds of snow rose   
up, obscuring her view. 'Did I get her?'   
  
"You should stop before you embarrass yourself further." Snarling,   
Makoto stalked forward.   
  
Ami caught her arm, whispering intently, "Mako-chan, something   
isn't right about this. I've lost Mars' signal."   
  
Makoto scowled. "So she's not up there anymore."   
  
The image of Mars flickered and vanished, leaving only her voice.   
"Foolish vermin! I was never 'here' to begin with!"   
  
Makoto spun, horror and terror and rage filling her as she watched   
a supernova burst into life in the air above the volcano. Mars had   
tricked them.   
  
"REI-CHAN!"   
  
  
"My past has nothing to do with anything," Terri shouted, glaring   
balefully at Setsuna. Emotions surged through her, battering her.   
Terri struggled with herself, found an anchor in rage, and latched   
onto it desperately. "I don't know what you're doing to me, but I want   
you to stop."   
  
Setsuna ignored Terri's anger. "Rei made a grievous mistake when   
she tampered with you, a mistake that I regrettably allowed. Your   
skills, as powerful as they are, mean nothing if you lack the   
experience to control them." She advanced on Terri, dark eyes holding   
Terri's own. "As much as it disgusts me to touch minds with one such   
as you, it is imperative that you regain your past." She reached out   
with a hand.   
  
"Now."   
  
  
Makoto barely heard Ami's frantic shout. The ball of flame had   
burst, spilling red/gold/white-hot heat that flowed down the sides of   
the volcano. Correction, just one side. Like some disturbing, living,   
heat-seeking wave, the sea of molten fire rushed towards them at   
breakneck speed. It would literally be on them in seconds.   
  
There was no time to think. Makoto grabbed Ami, who fought and   
struggled against her with amazing strength. 'Can't teleport blind.   
Can't focus my destination. Damn!' Her thoughts were jagged, barely   
connected. Makoto couldn't afford complete thoughts. She manhandled   
Ami, practically picked the other woman off the ground. 'Fire'll kill   
us. Can't let Ami-chan teleport.' Physically dragging Ami around to   
the other side of the spire, she threw Ami to the ground, covered   
Ami's body with her own, and prayed to God that she still had some   
luck left.   
  
She barely had time to take a single, deep breath before the wave   
crashed down. Fire rushed past them on all sides, swallowing   
everything in its path save for the spire behind them and a small   
island of snow beneath them, and Makoto could feel Ami straining to   
hold just that small area.   
  
Her lungs burned, yearning for a breath she didn't dare take. The   
heat was incredible. So fierce that she wondered why she simply hadn't   
burst into flames by now. Ami's circle of protection was shrinking at   
an alarming rate.   
  
A fleeting thought. A sudden sense of Rei, there and gone.   
  
It was over as quickly as it started. The sudden invasion of cold   
air slammed into Makoto hard enough to make her grunt. Slowly,   
painfully, she pushed herself off of Ami, flopping into the melted   
slush on her back. Ami didn't move, she was probably unconscious.   
  
Makoto turned her head, scanning the sky, watched as two specks of   
reddish light dwindled to nothingness. Rei was gone. Mars, too. No   
telling when Ami would wake up and, more importantly, no telling *if*   
Minako and the others would. And that damn spire was *still* standing!   
  
Makoto laughed sourly. God had one twisted sense of humor; only He   
would let her be the only person completely unharmed in the middle of   
all this mess. She smiled wryly and muttered, "You know I hate it when   
I'm the leader."   
  
  
Voices were shouting. Alarm. Questions. Fear. People appeared on   
either side of them, all of them staring up at the sky, some of them   
pointing towards the ocean. Haruka and Michiru appeared, both looking   
grim as they did their best to calm the terrified crowd. Nobody was   
aware of the two women and the tension between them.   
  
Setsuna's hand halted before it touched Terri as the air between   
the two of them fractured, black jagged cracks swallowing the light.   
Setsuna smiled. "You do remember something," she murmured.   
  
"Don't. Touch. Me." Teeth bared, Terri fought the nearly   
overwhelming urge to attack Setsuna. Her mind was in chaos, every   
ounce of her being dedicated to driving back her own power before she   
destroyed the entire village. It felt like she was going to be torn to   
ribbons.   
  
Wind whipped Setsuna's hair about her. "The sheer amount of power   
you are capable of is astonishing, Terri. It will draw the Senshi here   
like bees attracted to honey." She looked up. "Indeed, one of them has   
already arrived."   
  
Someone screamed shrilly. A knife edge of pain shot through Terri's   
skull, and that momentary distraction shattered her concentration. For   
a disorientating instant she saw through four different sets of eyes:   
two on the ground, one high in the sky, and one falling rapidly, body   
in bloody agony. And then everything vanished in red and gold and blue   
and black and Terri screamed and quite suddenly there was nothing at   
all.   
  
  
"You have been staring at that orb for nearly an hour. Has something   
special happened to attract Your attention?"   
  
Pluto turned Her head. "Saturn. I was beginning to wonder where You   
had gotten Yourself off to."   
  
Saturn didn't smile. "It is improper grammar to end a sentence with   
a preposition."   
  
"And it is impolite to spy on Your elders," Pluto said. Saturn   
acquiesced, bowing Her head slightly. Pluto's voice cooled. "What do   
You want, Saturn?"   
  
The dark Senshi gazed into the mists surrounding Them, carefully   
keeping Her eyes from looking at the orb and the scene playing out   
within. "Uranus and Neptune are impatient. Uranus believes it is time   
for Us to return to Crystal Tokyo. Neptune agreed with Her and so do   
I. The Inner Senshi are beginning to lose control."   
  
"The Inner Senshi," Pluto said, voice brittle as ice, "are not   
Uranus' concern. If the Inner Senshi ask for Our help, then, and only   
then, shall We return." A slight twitch of Saturn's eyes was the only   
sign of Her deep surprise. She looked up at Pluto. "That is... an   
interesting thought. I shall share it with the others." She paused as   
She started to turn away. "Uranus will not like it."   
  
"Uranus will not dare contradict My orders."   
  
Saturn shrugged fractionally. "Certainly not *Your* orders. The   
Queen, however..."   
  
Pluto spun. "What about the Queen? Has She told Us to return?"   
  
"To My knowledge, Queen Serenity has issued no such order," Saturn   
said calmly. "Which, I suppose, is good. Good for Us since it gives Us   
time to finish Our business here. Good for You because... Well..." She   
gazed solemnly at Pluto. "You tread a very fine line, Pluto, and death   
lies waiting on either side. And no 'angel' will protect You from Me."   
  
Pluto's eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat, Saturn?"   
  
Saturn's lips quirked upwards slightly, the closest thing to a   
smile She ever showed. "You, of all people, should know that I never   
make threats." She walked away, quickly vanishing into the mists.   
  
"Death is a fact, Pluto. And so am I." 


	15. 

Life's Lessons A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
Chapter 15 -  
  
  
  
Rei poked the fire with a branch, watching as the flames blazed up in a cloud of sparks. Although it didn't need it, she added another log, watching as the wood caught immediately. She studied the flames, and for a moment thought she saw an image take form. Immediately, she gave the fire a vicious poke, causing another burst of sparks. 'Kami- sama, my life's complicated as it is. I don't need *that* particular talent to show up now.' A low rumble of thunder seconded her.  
  
She glanced up as lightening pulsed beyond the window. The room she had spent the last three days holed up in had been emptied of everything, save for a couple of pallets, a stack of firewood for the fireplace, and a pitcher of water and a basin. Rei figured she should have been grateful for even that much; she had gotten the distinct feeling that she was less of a guest and more of a captive.  
  
At least, until her captors decided what to do with her.  
  
She snorted derisively. 'Not like they could do a whole lot to me. We all know I could leave anytime I felt like it.' The reason why Rei hadn't left cried out fitfully in her sleep, before settling back into an uneasy, feverish sleep.  
  
Rei frowned at Terri. 'How the heck did Terri generate enough power to physically *pull* both Mars and myself here all the way from the North Pole?' Despite the confusion surrounding Rei's arrival, that was something Rei clearly remembered. One moment, a dragon had been about to eat her, and the next thing she knew there had been a bone-breaking jerk, and then Rei had been falling through the air. She had gotten a single glimpse at the island below before she had passed out from blood loss. And when she had woken up...  
  
Rei looked down at her hands, and closed them into fists. The air around her shimmered, small sparks of reddish light flared briefly, and when Rei relaxed she was dressed in a fuku. *Her* fuku. Waking up not as Hino Rei but as Super Sailor Mars had been the biggest shock of them all.  
  
Rei stood, reverting back to her normal self ('Not that I've ever *been* "normal,"' she thought wryly.) with less than a thought. She paced the length of the small room, feeling very much like a caged tiger, while she pondered her options. But her attention kept straying as her subconscious constantly reminded her that, as Super Sailor Mars, there were some things happening that she couldn't ignore.  
  
Like the fact that a second personality had been crammed into her head. True, it was growing very faint and jumbled as the being that had been Mars faded into the background of Rei's mind, but nevertheless there and present. And pissed as all Hell. Ami had never mentioned anything about being able to 'feel' Mercury. Probably because she didn't need to, since-  
  
Rei spun. "Are you guys spying on me, now?!"  
  
Haruka's expression was bland, but Rei could sense irritation beneath that cool exterior. "I decided to see how you and your roommate were doing," Haruka said, standing in the door frame, "I didn't expect either of you to be awake."  
  
"I can't sleep." Rei bared her teeth in something close to a grin.  
  
"I can fix that." Haruka mimicked Rei, eyes cold.  
  
"Geez, you two could freeze ice faster than Michiru and Ami ever could." Annoyed by the false sincerity, Hotaru squeezed past Haruka and smiled warmly at Rei. She set a basket down. "Hi, Rei. I brought you some food." Turning, Hotaru neatly and deftly ushered the taller woman out the door, despite Haruka's surprised protests. "Go sulk around Michiru, Haruka. You're disturbing the peace of my patients." Once out the door, Hotaru shut it firmly and flashed Rei a mischievous grin. "Didn't think I could do that, did you?"  
  
Rei folded her arms.  
  
Hotaru blinked. "What?"  
  
"If you think for an instant that I'm fooled by that 'innocent girl' routine, you've got another thing coming."  
  
Hotaru sobered, and shrugged. "I just thought I'd cheer you up; we haven't exactly been hospitable." Ignoring any response Rei would have made, Hotaru knelt next to Terri's pallet. "And it's not like you've been doing anything to help the situation at all, Rei."  
  
"And what is that supposed to mean?"  
  
Hotaru touched Terri's forehead, a faint glow surrounding her hand. "It means that you've been acting as mulish as Haruka at her worst. This would be a lot easier if you just told us how the heck you got here, why Mars was with you, and how the heck did Terri-" Hotaru shook her head.  
  
Without really meaning to, Rei 'leaned' on Hotaru. "How did Terri do what?"  
  
"Kill Mars," Hotaru said immediately. The glow intensified. Terri stiffened with thin cry of pain, before collapsing limply. Hotaru lifted her hand and sighed. "I had a chance to do a deep scan earlier when I healed her head injury, and back then she was nowhere near capable of handling the amount of power I sensed when I saw Mars die. I really want to know how she went from almost no power to having more than me, Haruka, and Michiru combined." She flexed her fingers. "And she feels like Pluto," she muttered to herself, unaware that Rei was close enough to hear her.  
  
She turned and fixed Rei with a look. "I've broken Terri's fever, so she should be waking up in an hour or so." Her eyes narrowed. "And next time, ask. I *am* capable of answering questions without help."  
  
Rei flushed. "Sorry."  
  
"Hmph." Hotaru stretched. "I think Mars may have given you some bad habits." She whirled on Rei. "Speaking of which, how does it feel?"  
  
Rei grabbed the basket and peered inside. "How does what feel?"  
  
"You know, it!"  
  
"Hotaru, 'it' is an indefinite pronoun. Be specific."  
  
"Now who's playing innocent?"  
  
Rei paused in the act of making a sandwich to grin at Hotaru. "Wouldn't *you* like to know?"  
  
  
  
Yoko sprawled on the floor, jamming her back painfully on the edge of the dais. She tasted blood; the blow must have split her lip.  
  
Venus loomed over her. "Now, what was it you were saying about Me?"  
  
Yoko buried her anger and irritation. "Mercury believed that at one point, the Senshi and the Descendants were one and the same." She sensed Venus move, but before she could scramble out of the way Venus grabbed her by her hair and hauled her painfully to her feet. "I am going to-"  
  
"Enough, Venus."  
  
The Senshi's eyes narrowed to slits. For an instant, Yoko thought Venus would break her neck, then She released her. Venus turned angrily. "I will not listen to this nonsense, Jupiter."  
  
Jupiter lounged on an elaborate throne, the throne of Queen Serenity Herself, who was thankfully absent. Yoko had heard that the Queen was very possessive and tended to behead even the people that cleaned the throne room, just for touching Her chair. She would definitely kill Yoko if She found out Yoko was there.  
  
Jupiter lazily tossed a knife into the air. "Hear her out, Venus."  
  
Venus was livid. "I will not-" Jupiter caught the knife by the blade and fixed Venus with a hard stare. Venus scowled and walked a short distance away, grumbling. Jupiter tossed the knife up. "Continue, Yoko."  
  
Yoko bowed slightly in Jupiter's direction."When it was discovered Earth was going to have an Ice Age, the Senshi... well, really the Descendants. Mercury marked the distinction by calling them-"  
  
"Avatars," Venus spat.  
  
"Avatars," Yoko confirmed. She swallowed nervously when Venus pinned her with a look. "T-the Avatars, for reasons that Mercury didn't list, decided that the best way to save the world was to make themselves more powerful by releasing the self-imposed limitations they had put on themselves. But, it went differently than expected. The Avatars were literally split apart, with You, the Senshi, becoming separate from them, the Descendants."  
  
"And Zeus sprung forth from Athena rather than the other way around," Jupiter muttered. She ignored the look Venus gave Her. After a minute, Yoko cleared her throat and went on.  
  
"The Senshi were beings of pure magic. You were literally the source of magic in Crystal Tokyo. This Palace, the city, the magic grid, nearly all of it was created by the eight of You.  
  
"In direct contrast, the Descendants were purely human. They had no magic to speak of, and the only way they could have survived outside of Crystal Tokyo was by relying on the few resources still available."  
  
Venus snarled, "They seem to have an incredible amount of magic for being 'purely human.' You are obviously lying!"  
  
Jupiter stopped Venus' advance. "She spoke in the past tense, Venus. The Descendants 'were' purely human." She glanced at Yoko, who nodded enthusiastically.  
  
"At the beginning, the Descendants were as powerless as I am, but the magic that split the Avatars apart is weakening, meaning that they can use their old powers, albeit at a much lower level than any of the Senshi." Yoko added hesitantly, "This means, though, that all of You are, well..."  
  
Without warning, Jupiter stripped off one of Her gloves and, in a single smooth motion, drew the knife along Her arm. Blood welled, dripping onto the armrest, and She studied it, bemused. "It appears that Our immortality is fading." She arched an eyebrow at Venus as She pulled Her glove back on. "I *have* noticed that We are significantly weaker than when Crystal Tokyo was first created."  
  
"That means nothing," Venus grated. She caught Herself fingering Her scar, and shot a glare at Yoko. Yoko resisted the urge to snort. 'As if this was all *my* fault!'  
  
"So, will We, eventually, lose all of Our power?" Jupiter asked.  
  
Yoko shook her head. "Mercury predicted that an equilibrium will eventually be reached. At that time, the Senshi will merge back with Their counterpart. You... They will be Avatars again."  
  
Both Senshi were silent, absorbing this statement. Jupiter tapped the hilt of the knife against Her palm, lost in thought. Finally, She stood. "Venus."  
  
The blonde Senshi jerked, startled out of Her thoughts. She looked annoyed. "What?"  
  
"We will have to assume that Mizuno Ami is aware of this and has passed this information on to the other Descendants. With only the two of Us in Crystal Tokyo until Mars' return, it might be wise if We increased the security around the generators. Undoubtedly, the Descendants will strike there first, in an attempt to disable Us." She smiled suddenly. "And should they decide to attack elsewhere, make sure they have an adequately 'warm' reception waiting for them."  
  
Venus smiled slowly. "Of course, Sister." And between one breath and the next She was gone.  
  
Yoko turned. "And what of me, Lady Jupiter?"  
  
Jupiter lifted the knife, examining the hilt. "Yes... What of you, Yoko?" She looked at Yoko. "Do you believe Mars will come back?"  
  
Yoko hesitated. Slowly, she said, "It is my understanding that Lady Mars would have returned by now... if She was able to return."  
  
"It *has* been a while." Jupiter looked beyond her. "Could the human be right, Pluto?" Yoko jumped at the sound of footsteps directly behind her. A soft voice said, "She is correct, Jupiter. Mars is dead." Yoko started to turn, thought better of it when she felt the hair on the back of her neck and arms begin to rise, and settled for staring at the ground.  
  
"Hm..." Jupiter sighed and sat back down. "And what does the leader do now?" A timeless interval passed before She focused again on Yoko. "Did Mercury mention a way to reinforce the magic that separated Us from the Descendants?"  
  
Yoko closed her eyes, thinking. "I... believe She did, Lady Jupiter. The spell is simple, but requires a great deal of power to cast and takes quite a while to prepare for. Also, only a human can cast the spell."  
  
"And by 'a human' I assume you mean yourself?"  
  
"If You think I am qualified enough, Lady-" A stinging pain and loud thunk stopped Yoko cold. Shaking, she touched fingers to her right ear, felt blood flowing down the side of her face. A significant portion of her ear was missing. She tried to swallow past a lump in her throat, and failed.  
  
Jupiter caught her by the neck, dragging her closer until they were only centimeters apart. Jupiter's voice was utterly calm, in direct contrast to rage burning in Her eyes. "Let Me make this perfectly clear: from this point on, your life is forever tied to Mine. Not Venus'. Not any other Senshi's. *Mine.* Any knife that slits My throat *will* slit yours as well; I have made sure of that." And just that quickly, Jupiter's anger faded. She released Yoko and smiled down at her. "I suggest you start making preparations for that spell." She walked past Yoko. "Otherwise, your lifespan might be drastically reduced."  
  
Yoko stared at the blood on her hand, too terrified to move. Finally, she turned slowly, and she saw Pluto watching her. Shaken by the look in the Senshi of Time's eyes, Yoko hurried to catch up with Jupiter's back.  
  
  
  
When Makoto let loose an angry bellow of pain, Ami's first impulse was to simply ignore her. For three days, Makoto had been complaining near constantly about their state of affairs, and Ami was growing mighty sick of hearing Makoto gripe. But, on the other hand, something could be seriously wrong this time.  
  
Ami sighed and sat back, pushing her safety glasses up to rest in her hair, and noting that the lamp hanging from the low ceiling was beginning to fade. Her current job, setting up the bulky generators that would provide the volcano with enough electricity to power a small city, was a task meant for more than one person. Unfortunately, since nobody had come out of their magical sleep in the three days since Rei vanished, Ami and Makoto were the only people awake to work on the generators. Much to both of their irritation, mostly Ami's.  
  
Ami set her welder down and stood, stretching muscles cramped from hours of crouching in awkward positions. "Mako-chan? Are you okay?" When Makoto didn't answer, Ami sighed and walked towards the junction where her tunnel met the one where Makoto was working in. She raised her voice as she entered the intersection. "You didn't accidentally burn yourself, did... you..." The words died in Ami's throat as a handful of spears were leveled at her face and body. Green-gold eyes glared balefully down the length of the wood at her, and the owners growled.  
  
'Oh, dear.'  
  
When the world's nations had discovered that everything they knew and loved was to be covered in hard, unyielding ice, several commercial groups begin toying with genetic engineering, promising the terrified populace that salvation lay in merging humankind with animal-kind. Tens of thousands had flocked to the conglomerate banners, submitting themselves to what they believed would be at best a temporary procedure, and at worst nothing more than a minor alteration to their normal bodies. Which it wasn't, not in the least.  
  
Hundreds died, some from their body's inability to handle the sudden physiological changes, others from unexpectedly fatal mutations. Still others regressed into a purely feral state, doing nothing but slaughtering anything and everything they could get their hands on until they were put down, often by force.  
  
The experiments weren't a complete failure. The few mutants that survived performed over and above the expectations of even the scientists that had created them. Although mentally inferior to normal humans, these new demi-humans had incredible strength, stamina, speed, and, more importantly, were able to survive in the most extreme weather imaginable. So long as there was food and oxygen, the mutants could live just about anywhere. Even in the near-barren wilderness of the North Pole.  
  
The five mutants that surrounded Ami were feline in appearance. All shared the same features: small heads with tufted ears and whiskers, long, lanky limbs, tails that waved back and forth almost unconsciously, and fur. Lots of fur. All five wore thick deer-skinned boots, and strips of strategically placed cloth that was probably there more for modesty than for warmth.  
  
No one, human or otherwise, moved. Ami didn't trust herself to breathe, and her captors might have been furry statues, save for the incessant waving of their tails.  
  
Bootheels echoed on rock. Not daring to turn her head, Ami watched out of the corner of her eyes as a mutant, easily three meters tall and built like a lion strolled towards them. He fixed Ami with burning yellow eyes that glowed in the near-darkness, then turned to the five. An unspoken command flitted between them all, and the spears pulled away as the guards moved back.  
  
The newcomer, obviously the leader of the group, studied her from beneath lowered lids. "Your other was not very much friendly, human. Maybe you are more so, yes?"  
  
Ami sized the man up, weighing her options. Something tickled the back of her mind, and she prodded it out, focused on it... and risked it.  
  
She bowed low, open hands held out before her, and said as slowly and as clearly as possible, ":My deepest apologies to you and your kin, Abradì.:" Ami held her bow, feeling sweat trickle down her side. Then the Abradì, the mutants' chief, laughed loudly and she relaxed.  
  
"You speak like Ku'dath; long time since humans do that." A heavy hand, more like a paw, landed on Ami's shoulder. "You impress me. That's good." Relieved more at the laughter in that bass rumble then the actual words, Ami straightened and found herself staring into eyes of purest gold. The Abradì, so leonine in his appearance that he might as well have been a talking lion, gave her a smile full of sharp teeth and fangs. "But your other fights like Ku'dath. Never seen a human so very eager to die."  
  
He moved to one side, allowing Ami to see at least half a dozen mutants shoving her friend forward. Makoto stumbled to a halt, swearing so vehemently and so loudly that it was a wonder that the mutants hadn't killed her already just to spare their ears. However, she stopped the instant she saw Ami. "What the Hell? Why haven't they practically stabbed you to death?"  
  
Ami couldn't resist. "Possibly because I think before I try to pound someone into the ground."  
  
The look Makoto gave Ami could've melted iron. "Get. Me. Out. NOW."  
  
Ami looked up at the Abradì, searching for the right words. "My friend, the other. Will you let her go?"  
  
He scratched behind one of his ears. "Hm... Suppose so." He twitched a hand, and the group encircling Makoto backed away, even if they didn't lower their spears. Makoto rubbed her throat, where one of the spearpoints had drawn blood. "Damn cats."  
  
The Abradì said, "Your other fine? Good. Leave."  
  
Ami and Makoto were surprised. "What?"  
  
"I did misspeak?" He fixed them both with his eyes. "This Ku'dath winter den, where you standing. You and your kin not live in den. Humans leave, just so."  
  
Ami faced him. "But... where are we supposed to go?"  
  
Makoto stalked over to him. "Better yet, how the heck are we supposed to move five hundred comatose people by ourselves?!"  
  
He shrugged. "I care not at all for you humans and the trouble you have with you. You are leaving now." He nodded to his guards. Hands seized Ami's arms, pulling her away. Panicking, she blurted out the first thing in her mind. "An alliance!"  
  
That stopped everyone. The Abradì stared at Ami. "You said what?"  
  
Aware that every eye was turned towards her, Ami swallowed and said hesitantly, "An alliance... a deal, :Abradì.: If you let us stay until we find a new place to live, then we'll let you keep the generators, the water purifiers, whatever you want when we leave."  
  
The lion-man looked about him. His gaze settled on a younger mutant that could only be his son, they were so alike in appearance. The younger mutant nodded and the Abradì smiled at Ami. "Deal! We get whatever we want. Stay here, human and your kin."  
  
Ami heaved a sigh of relief. "Great! Whatever you guys want, you can have. Right, Mako-chan?"  
  
Makoto nodded. "Right, Ami-chan. Anything you want, take it. It's yours."  
  
Both mutants smiled, pleased. "Then my son has chosen. We take her." And he pointed a thick finger at Makoto.  
  
  
  
"So what will you do now, Rei?"  
  
"What can I do? Terri-chan and I will return to the North Pole, and we'll get out of your hair."  
  
Terri regained consciousness with agonizing slowness. Her entire body felt heavy, so, rather than force her eyes open, she lay in silence, listening to the voices and the thunder as she reacquainted herself with the waking world.  
  
"And after you get back? Two of the Senshi are dead. I don't think the rest of them are going to let you guys savor your victory for much longer." A pause. "And then there's the matter that a Senshi found her way here. True, Ganabile-san did kill Mars-"  
  
WHAT?!  
  
"-but the fact remains that the Senshi probably know where we are now. We're not safe anymore."  
  
"And I bet Haruka blames that on me, too."  
  
"Of course she does. Thankfully, Michiru's a bit more understanding; she knows you had no more control over the situation than we did."  
  
"Hm... that still doesn't change the fact that you guys are in danger... and so is everyone back at the D-point. We can't hold that place against a strong offensive; we were lucky only Mars showed up and not an entire army, but that luck might not hold."  
  
"Jupiter's not stupid. She *will* send an army."  
  
"I don't doubt it. Even with me and Ami back to Avatar status, we won't be able to do much without pretty steep casualties. And right now, any casualty is too steep."  
  
"Anything you can do about it?"  
  
Terri cracked her eyes, seeing darkness and occasional flashes of light which revealed nothing. She turned her head, and saw Rei and Hotaru seated next to a fire. Rei said, "Right now, I think our only choice is to take the fight to them. We *need* Crystal Tokyo, more for morale than anything else, and we need to take it before Jupiter either crushes us or puts up so many defenses that it would become suicidal just to look at the place."  
  
"Can you guys do it?"  
  
A long silence. Rei sighed and looked at Hotaru. "Not without help."  
  
Hotaru laughed and Terri saw her drink from a cup. "You're asking *us?*"  
  
"I'm asking *you*, Hotaru."  
  
"Which is wise. Michiru's too intent on keeping our own people safe, Haruka's too darn stubborn to take orders from any of you guys, and Setsuna... Let's just say that the game Setsuna's playing has enough complications right now. And me... well, nobody really would miss a seventeen-year-old girl, right?"  
  
Rei snorted and sipped from her own cup.  
  
Hotaru chuckled. "I'll go with you, Rei. Maybe, and this is a big 'maybe,' my leaving will yank out whatever stick Haruka's got stuck up her butt, and she'll at least work *with* you guys instead of trying to take over the entire operation."  
  
"Thank you, Hotaru. I owe you one."  
  
Hotaru set her cup down. She wagged a finger at Rei. "Just get me my glaive back and we'll call things even." Hotaru stretched languorously. "Gods, I'm tired. I've been spending all day cleaning up the mess you and Ganabile-san left out there." She stood, and Rei rose with her.  
  
Rei said, "For what it's worth, tell Haruka I'm sorry about that."  
  
"I will." She walked to the door and paused. "Get some sleep, Rei. You need it." Rei nodded and closed the door after her. She sighed and leaned against it, studying Terri through half-closed eyes.  
  
Finally she sighed and slid down the door to sit on the floor. "You're probably confused now, aren't you?"  
  
Terri blinked slowly. She didn't realize Rei knew she was awake.  
  
Rei laughed darkly. "I know a lot of stuff, now. Maybe more than I ever wanted to know. I *remember...*" Shaking her head, Rei drew her knees up, and sighed again. "But you don't.  
  
"I'm an Avatar again, and that means that I'm now strong enough to undo what I did to you nearly a thousand years ago..."  
  
Suddenly, a red aura flared around Rei. Rei's voice spoke in Terri's mind. ~So, I'll start at the beginning: the truth behind what you are, Terri.~  
  
~And the truth is, you're not human.~ 


	16. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
  
Chapter 16 -  
  
  


_You're not human._>

The words echoed through Terri's mind, heard but not understood. Aware of her body's weakness, she levered herself up, staring at Rei. "What?"

Rei closed her eyes, the fitful light from the dying fire overpowered by the bright aura burning steadily around Rei. Her voice, when she spoke again in Terri's mind, was soft but clear. _You are not human. Not entirely. Your mother was human, your father... something else. He was human in appearance only, and even then he looked like no man I had ever seen.>_

Scenes of battle flooded Terri's mind, scenes from Rei's memory: 

_...the desperate struggle for air as a black dome crushed down on her head... _

...standing inside a warped Tokyo Tower, the only defense between the enemy and her two friends... 

...rage and guilt and fear warring as she ignores her friend's cries for help... 

...and, strongest yet faintest, listening to the laughter of her enemies as they destroy her beloved Kingdom while she lies bleeding and helpless, dying from wounds inflicted by the demon-queen Metallia...

In the blink of an eye, Terri lived all those battles and more. And, throughout it all, there was one man: tall, sharp facial features, pale hair and eyes so like her own. He reminded her of a wolf: cold, proud, and utterly ruthless. She saw herself in him, and why shouldn't she? She had, after all, inherited his power as well as his looks.

He was, after all, her father.

Terri realized she was jamming the heels of her hands into her eyes in a vain attempt to block out the mental images. She forced herself to relax, to let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. She felt sick, and dirty. And tainted. Forever tainted by what she had seen and felt her father did countless years ago. She wanted, very badly, to go stand outside in the rain and stay there until she felt clean again. But that would never happen; the taint was inside her, part of her. She had been born with it.

But, Rei wasn't done yet.

"That bastard..." Rei's voiced snaked through the air, coiled with ill-concealed hatred. When she opened her eyes to glare at Terri, rage burned in those dark depths, hotter than anything Terri had ever known. And, with horror, Terri realized that rage was directed at _her_, as if somehow Rei saw her foe in Terri... which she probably did.

Rei fought with herself, hands tightly clenched. But her voice was calm when she said, _He raped your mother, that's how he got her pregnant with you. He did it for revenge against us, just to hurt us. As if turning Katarina into a youma wasn't enough. As if pitting her against Minako-chan wasn't enough! No, Kunzite had to kill her from the inside out._

_You were a parasite. Like some leech, you took Katarina's strength while you grew. Everyone thought she was weak from the difficult labor. But, I knew. Back then, I knew, even though I didn't know what you were. But I couldn't do anything about it because nobody would have ever believed me. You were just too _innocent_. So, I watched you.>_

The dying fire caught Rei's heat and flared back into life. Rei stood, her relaxed posture belying the tension Terri could sense within her. She spread her hands, lifted them to the sky. The aura around Rei blazed, filling the room with light.

Lost, shielding her eyes, Terri heard Rei. _And then Jedite came back..._>

Terri's world burst into flames.

* * *

Pain. Unspeakable pain.

I screamed as my body twisted and stretched. Bones snapped and reformed. Muscles tore. Blood boiled. The distant part of me not consumed with white-hot agony cried out for a death that refused to come.

I was convince that this was what Hell is like; never-ending pain without the promise of release.

The thought nearly drove me mad.

An eternity or a second later, the pain stopped as abruptly as it had started. I collapsed, falling face-first onto hard stone, body twitching uncontrollably. Hot tears of relief streamed down my face while I gasped in great draughts of air.

"There now... that wasn't so bad, was it?"

I barely heard the voice. Every twitch of my muscles sent needles of pain along my nerves. My heart labored, I could hear it pounding erratically in my ears. I was vaguely amazed that I hadn't passed out.

"Hm... you aged little bit short of the target year, but I guess that's okay. A first-year transfer student is just believable as a third-year. That means a two year gap between you and those Three, but I'll find a way to make it work." A slightly hysterical, high-pitched giggle. "I always find a way to make things work."

My body was slowly coming back under my conscious control. Already, the memory of the intense pain I had just suffered was beginning to fade. I risked opening my eyes, but saw nothing but blurred colors and the suggestion of shapes.

"Now, I know you don't look anything like your old self, but that's because I had to make a few minor changes to your genetic makeup. Oh, don't fret; I only did some cosmetic changes, so that nobody that knew you before would recognize you now. And I cleaned out your head of a bunch of stuff; you wouldn't believe the amount of crap your parents managed to shove inside you. None of it would help you serve me. None of it. I'll have to teach you everything you need to know myself. But, don't worry about your power, my dear. I left that quite intact."

I felt a hand lift my hair, running the strands through fingers. The voice said pensively, "I just wish your hair wasn't white. You look too much like... like..." Suddenly the hand grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked hard. "GET UP!"

Yelping, I jerked upwards, mostly pulled by that angry fist. Fresh tears tracked down my face. I blinked my eyes clear, the thought never crossed my mind to use my hands to brush at my face.

Hot, fetid breath blew into my face. My eyes focused on two points of blue, cold as steel and filled with rage and, below that, the dangerous gleam of insanity.

"You," he said very softly. Even in my fear-addled mind I knew he was a 'he.' "If you ever so much as _dare_ to think of crossing me, I'll slit your pretty little throat. In fact, if you even dare to _think_ I'll kill you. Never forget what you are: Property. My property. And property don't have minds to think with, got that?" I whimpered wordlessly. He shook me so hard that, this time, I thought I really would pass out. Instead, I managed to nod, which seemed to satisfy him.

He released me and turned away, leaving me to stand there shivering. I was naked, my only protection was my hair, which flowed down to my waist. I looked down at my hair, and then the rest of my body, in slight puzzlement. In my limited memory, I never recalled being this tall. I frowned. 'What happened-'

The thought died abruptly.

Standing silently, I watched as he paced back and forth, simply because I had nothing better to do until he told me otherwise. He was thin, this man. Almost gaunt. And very pale, his skin was a shocking contrast to his vivid eyes. He muttered to himself a lot. And he had a habit of twitching his head about, as though he was constantly looking for unseen watchers. I almost started to think he looked like a bird, but then I remembered that I wasn't supposed to be thinking.

So, I watched him. And I waited.

Eventually, he stopped and faced me. "I've decided to give you a name. How does 'Terri' sound?" I blinked slowly. He grinned. "Pretty normal, I know, but it will help you blend in. And I need you to blend in, Terri. Because I can't. I see all those humans, all that raw energy trapped inside those disgusting husks and I just want to kill them, kill them all. But, if I do, They'll come and get me." He looked around quickly, as if he expected the dreaded 'Them' to show up any minute. He shrank away from me, as the insanity swept to the forefront of his visage. He whispered, "They'll kill me. I know They will. They'll track me down and burn me or freeze me or slice me to ribbons. And all because They _can_, Terri. They can.

"You have to protect me. You must protect me from Them. You'll kill Them for me: Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus. But especially the first Three."

His eyes focused intently on me and I straightened, somehow aware that what he was about to say was vitally important, that it was more than words. It was a Command.

"Kill them, Terri. Kill the Senshi.

* * *

Terri slammed back into the present. She doubled over, then rolled onto her side, retching. It hadn't been real. She had been sick, feverish even. She had just hallucinated, that was all. There was no way what she had just seen had been real. 

So why couldn't she remember anything between the ages of three and twenty? 

Her mind recoiled. 'No! I _have_ a childhood!' 

_Tools don't have a childhood,_> Rei said. 

Terri lifted her head and glared balefully at Rei. "I am not a tool! I just..." Her voice faltered. 'I'm...' She shook her head fiercely. "You did this to me! Yoko was right; you're the person that took my memory!" 

_I can't take something you didn't have._> 

Terri pushed herself to her feet. Power surged through her, giving her strength. Blackness rolled off her arms, pooling at her feet, absorbing the light from the fire. "Liar! I had a life and you took it from me. You and Minako. Why?!" 

Rei folded her arms, unafraid and not intimidated by Terri's power. _What will you do if I refuse to tell you?_> 

Screaming with frustration, Terri lashed out. 

Rei lifted a finger. 

Something inside Terri snapped and crumbled. She staggered- 

* * *

"It was so easy to influence people, once I figured out how. And believe me, I had plenty of time to think things through. Because all I could do was think. It was the only thing she left me with. Do you have any idea how that feels? To know you have a body, to be aware of what's going on around you, but unable to do anything but *think?*" He laughed loudly. 

It was then that I realized that I was conscious; the youma hadn't killed me after all. And, for some reason, that realization terrified me. I stood, grunting painfully as my body protested, and took in the scene before me. 

I was in a dead-end alley, half-propped against the wall of a building. Near the entrance, partially blocked from my view, stood two women. Mars and Venus. And, standing in front of me, was... 

'Jake?!' 

With his back to me, my brother swept his insane gaze across the two Senshi that stood, horrified, only a short distance away. "But, Beryl's punishment backfired. You see, I learned. I learned other things, like how to project my thoughts. Invade people's dreams. Their minds." He giggled again, maddeningly. "I listened in Kunzite's mind. I found about Nephrite and Zoicite getting killed. I learned about Beryl's 'precious Prince Endymion.'" He laughed at that, and sobered nearly immediately. "I underestimated you guys before, but, then, listening in on conversations, I knew what nobody else did. I knew you'd win. You'd kill Kunzite. You'd kill Beryl. And then where would I be? Left alone at the D-Point, with no one to listen to! 

"So, I planned. Kunzite knew a lot, and I knew what Kunzite knew. But, he didn't know. Because I had been the Brain, and after they got rid of me, nothing went right. Not for them, oh no. But, it would for me." He giggled again. "Because, you see, I knew. I knew your identity, Mars. And I knew how to find out the rest your identities. I searched their minds. All of their minds. And I found out the key to my plan, my way to escape. 

"I found out about Katarina." 

Venus inhaled sharply. "You..." 

"I put the idea in his mind," Jake said proudly. "I told him what to do in order to make a tool, a perfect tool. A tool that I could use against everyone that ever thought to use me. 

"And everything went just as I planned. Kunzite found Katarina. And they created my tool. Your princess killed Beryl, freeing me from my prison and, after a couple of years of searching, I managed to reclaim my property." 

"No." The sound of my voice surprised me, but it wasn't enough to yank me out of my sudden fear. I couldn't be... 

Jake chose that moment to turn and smile at me. I started to back away, but, his eyes, gleaming with insanity, focused intently on my own, freezing me in place. "Hello, Terri," he said calmly. He tilted his head to one side, watching me. "Or, maybe, I should call you 'Elizabeth?'" 

Something deep within me, something long buried after I had thought Jake was dead, rose up to the surface. 

The Command. 

"BASTARD!" Venus screamed. She launched herself at Jake. 

He didn't even turn around. "Do it." 

I tapped into my power... 

* * *

  


-And fell to her hands and knees, rage forgotten in a flood of tears as memories lost flooded back in a rush. "I killed her," she cried hoarsely. "I killed Minako." 

"No," Rei said coolly. "But you came close. She was in a coma for nearly two weeks. I wasn't much better, either, and I had a hell of a time coming up with a story that would satisfy the police and Minako-chan's parents." 

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Terri asked bitterly. 

"No." 

Terri let her eyes closed, listening to the hiss of the fire and the rain drumming on the roof. She was tired, more than when she had first woken up. Finally, she asked, "Why didn't you kill me?" A dangerous question. 

"At one time, I would have killed you without hesitating. Destroying your kind was what I did." 

"And now?" 

Silence. 

Terri looked up. Rei stood by the window. The aura was gone. The fire was dead. She sighed heavily. "I had no right to block out your memory. But I did it because it was the only way to stop you; Minako knew that. I should've removed the block when I learned you weren't in stasis, but I thought we could do it without you. I thought-" She shook her head and barked out a laugh. "Who'm I kidding? Ojii-san was right: I have never thought things through unless they affected me. I didn't remove it because I was too damn stubborn to admit that we needed your help to reunite with the Senshi." 

Understanding dawned. Terri sat up. "You are the Senshi. You, Minako, the others. All of you. And you're just using me to get rid of them so you can have your power back." Anger smoldered, sharpening her tone. "Has it ever occurred to you that I might not want to help you?" She rose to her knees. "Do any of you even _care_ about what I think?" 

Rei studied her briefly, then turned her attention to the fading storm. "Minako-chan did." 

Terri flinched. 

She forced herself to stand. She wanted, _needed_ to be alone. More importantly, she wanted to get as far away from Rei as possible. 

Rei spoke as she touched the doorknob. "Will you help us, Terri?" 

Terri spun, outraged that Rei would ask such a question. Summoned by anger, her power stretched out- 

And halted as Terri struggled to regain control of it. She could sense that Rei's barriers were down; the slightest touch from Terri's power would destroy Rei utterly. 

Rei turned to look at her. Her expression was unreadable. "You had your chance to be free. Why didn't you take it?" 

Terri forced herself to relax. "I couldn't kill a friend. Not when they needed me." 

"And now?" 

The stared at each other in silence. Terri dropped her eyes first. "I can't abandon my friends," she said softly. 

Rei nodded and looked out the window. "We leave in the morning. Be ready." 

  


* * *

The storm had passed leaving the air fresh and scoured. Rei took a deep moisture-laden breath, savoring the cleanliness. This was likely the last time she'd smell air free from magical taint. 

The sun had risen an hour ago. Wisps of mist rose from the grass and spilled over onto the path, wrapping themselves around Rei's legs as she walked. A squirrel paused in the act of gather nuts to chatter at her. She stuck her tongue out at it, and laughed as it scurried up a tree to rage from the safety of the branches. 

It was going to be a beautiful day. 

And then she neared the top of the hill, and her mood plummeted. 

Terri was already there, along with Shouji, Kiyomi, and Hotaru. None of them noticed as Rei approached, deep as they were in their current discussion. 

"You want to us _what_?!" Kiyomi shrilled. 

"Stay here," Terri said. She looked remarkably calm for someone who had just discovered that she wasn't entirely human, had no past, and had been created by a madman as a tool for vengeance. Of course looks had nothing to do with how she actually felt, and Rei felt a smattering of guilt at the torrent of emotions she sensed lurking beneath Terri's surface thoughts. 

Terri said, "Rei said we might be heading for Crystal Tokyo when we get back, and I don't want you guys to accidentally get hurt in a fight." 

Kiyomi scowled. "So why do you get to go?" 

"I'm a special case." 

Hotaru's eyebrow twitched. Terri looked down at her. "Will that be okay, Hotaru? I mean, I know I'm asking so suddenly-" 

Hotaru shrugged. "Hey, it's fine with me, Ganabile-san, and I'm sure Haruka and Michiru won't have any problem with it either." 

Shouji shifted his weight and spoke for the first time. "This has something to do with you and the Senshi, doesn't it?" Terri stiffened, but nodded. Shouji sighed and scratched his goatee. "I thought as much. I don't like this, Terri." 

"Neither do I, but I've got to do it." She smiled suddenly. "But, hey, it won't be forever. A short trip to Crystal Tokyo, kick some Senshi butt, and then back here. I'll be gone two days, max. You guys won't even know I was gone." 

Kiyomi clamped onto Terri's arms, wailing. "I'm gonna miss you!" Terri rolled her eyes in exaggerated annoyance, and froze as she saw Rei. Shouji and Hotaru, puzzled by the sudden blankness on Terri's face, turned and saw her. Even Kiyomi fell silent. 

They stood for several long minutes. Finally, Rei said, "Are you ready to go, yet?" 

Terri detached herself from Kiyomi's grasp. "Yes." She bent to grab a pack off the ground. 

Hotaru sidled closer to Rei. "What'd you tell her?" she whispered. 

"None of your business," Rei growled. Louder, "What's in the bag?" 

"Hotaru's clothes," Terri said flatly. Rei glared at Hotaru, who smiled innocently. "What? She offered to carry it." 

"She's not a packhorse, Hotaru." 

Terri's glare was hard as a slap. "No, I'm not. I'm considerably worse than that, aren't I, Rei?" 

They stared at each other. Terri dropped her gaze. "If we're gonna go, then let's go." She stalked off towards the center of the hill. 

Kiyomi started after her, but Shouji's arm halted her. She looked at him, then at Terri's back, distressed. Rei touched the young woman's shoulder. "Don't worry. She'll be fine. I'll make sure of it." She nodded to Hotaru and they walked towards Terri. 

"Making another promise you can't keep, eh, Rei?" 

"Shut up, Hotaru." 

They stopped, one on either side of Terri. Rei closed her eyes and stretched out her senses -There!- and the world shifted beneath her feet. She exhaled slowly, surprised that she wasn't suffering any ill- effects from the long-distance teleport. "Well, Terri-chan, Hotaru, welcome to the D-point." She opened her eyes. And gasped. 

A spear hovered just over her left eye. She jerked away and felt another jab into her lower back. The cat-men surrounding them growled threateningly. 

"Perhaps," Hotaru said slowly, watching as another spear dipped towards her throat. "I should have stayed home."

  
  
  
  


This has been a production of Blueberry Enterprises.


	17. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
  
Chapter 17 -  
  
  


Terri stumbled backwards, away from the spears, only to find another one jabbing painfully into her lower back. The demi-humans, seven in all, ranged in a loose circle around Terri, Hotaru, and Rei, and none of them looked particularly happy to see the three women. 

Hotaru was tense. "This is not good." 

One of the demi-humans, the one holding a spear to Rei's throat, suddenly let out a low growl. Rei smiled, but her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Try me." 

The warning growl escalated to an angry hiss. 

Without taking her eyes off the cat-man, Rei lifted a hand and touched her index finger to the leather binding the point to the wood. Smoke drifted upwards. Terri heard the other demi-humans growling. The point in her back pressed in harder. 

"Rei-chan! Terri-chan! You're alive!" A blonde head shoved past two of the cat-men, and was quickly followed by a shoulder and then a body as Minako squeezed past the two very surprised demi-humans. She brushed the spears away irritably. "Put those things up, guys. They're my friends. My. Friends. Got it?" The two she had pushed aside shared a look. 

Minako muttered, "For crying out loud..." Then she said something in a language that Terri had never heard before. But, whatever she said, it worked because the demi-humans backed away, even if they didn't relax. 

Minako wasn't satisfied. Hands on her hips, she confronted the seven. "Can we _please_ have a little privacy? I swear that they're not evil. Well, not very evil." Muttering amongst themselves, the demi-humans drew further back and hunkered down a short distance away, where they continued to watch Terri and the others warily. 

Minako sighed. "I guess that'll have to do..." 

Rei grabbed Minako's shoulders. "Minako-chan, you're awake! How did that happen?" 

Minako grinned and patted Rei's hands. "I'm happy to see you, too." She pulled away from Rei's grasp and turned to the face all of them. "The Ku'dath," she said, gesturing to the demi-humans, "have a very talented shaman and he did a very good job of waking us up, although, personally, I was really enjoying my dream. But I'm guessing that the real reason we all woke up is because Mars is dead. Am I right?" 

Terri winced; she had been trying to forget about that. 

Her expression didn't go unnoticed. Minako's eyes lingered on her for a moment, before sliding over to Hotaru. "Hi, Hotaru. It's been a while, hasn't it?" 

"Yes, it has," Hotaru said. She smiled warmly. "Still keeping bad company, I see." 

"Oh, you know me; trouble follows me where ever I go." 

Hotaru eyed the Ku'dath. "So I see," she said dryly. 

Rei said, "We need to talk, Minako-chan." 

Minako nodded, but her attention wasn't on Rei. "We will, Rei-chan, but not right now. I want to spend a little quality time with Hotaru." 

Rei frowned. "But-" 

Hotaru took Rei's arm. "I bet you're dying to talk to Ami and Makoto, right Rei? So you go on ahead and Minako and I will catch up with you in a few minutes. I'm pretty sure that those two will be happy to listen to whatever it is you wanted to talk about." 

"Not bloody likely," Rei muttered, but allowed herself to be pushed away. 

Minako studied Terri in silence. Terri shifted uncomfortably beneath her intense gaze, but forced herself to meet Minako's eyes. Eventually, Minako sighed and folded her arms. "So... she told you." 

Terri stiffened. 

Minako broke off her stare as Hotaru rejoined them. Treating Terri as if she no longer existed, Minako said, "Let's go someplace more private, Hotaru." 

Hotaru frowned and looked at Terri. "But, what about Ganabile-san?" 

Minako shrugged and started to walk away. "What about her? She's a big girl. Let her take care of herself." 

Hotaru was surprised. "Minako!" 

Terri shook her head, cutting off Hotaru's protests. "It's okay, Hotaru. I wanted to be by myself anyway." 

Hotaru sighed. "Yeah... well... don't stray to far." 

Despite how she felt, Terri grinned. "Don't worry, Hotaru. I'm not going anywhere." 

* * *

Hands on her hips, Rei looked around the cave. "You guys got a lot done while I was gone." 

"We had help," Ami said. "For the most part, it was just Mako-chan and myself, but then the Ku'dath arrived and things progressed much faster. All of the main tunnels have been cleared of rock falls, and many of the smaller branches are nearly clear." She gestured about her with a wave of her hand. "Small caves, such as this one, are being set up for human use. I'm hoping that we can have the living areas completly finished by tonight." 

Rei nodded. "I'm impressed." She looked at Ami. "So, who's room are we standing in?" 

"Er... well, until we can finish determining how safe the lower levels of the volcano are, we can't afford the space required for every family to have their own living area. This means-" 

Rei lifted a hand. "Yeah, yeah, everybody sleeps together, I get it, Ami-chan. Just tell me that the men and the women get separate baths." When Ami didn't say anything, Rei rounded on her, eyes widening. "Ami-chan?!" 

Ami laughed. "I'm kidding, Rei-chan." 

Rei sighed in relief, then glared at Ami. "Geez, Ami-chan, don't do that to me. I nearly had a heart attack." 

"Funny. Modesty never bothered you before. Are you really the same Hino Rei that almost got her ass bitten off by a dragon?" 

Rei turned. "And a warm 'Hello' to you, too, Mako-chan." 

Lounging against the cave wall, Makoto snorted. 

Rei leaned closer to Ami and whispered, "What's her problem?" To Rei's surprise, Ami suddenly blushed bright red. Looking at the ground, Ami mumbled something. 

Rei frowned. "What?" 

"Nothing! I didn't say anything, Rei-chan." Ami laughed nervously. She glanced quickly at Makoto, and flinched away from the tall woman's glower. "Not a thing. She's just cranky, that's all. You know how Mako-chan gets." 

"Ami-chan, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to hide something from me." 

"Hide?!" Ami squeaked. Shaking her head, she backed away. "Why would I be hiding anything, Rei-chan? I mean, what could I possibly want to hide from you, my friend?" She spun, and collided with Makoto, who had silently moved to block Ami's path. Ami yelped and stumbled backwards. 

Makoto smiled, and Rei felt a cold tingle run down her spine. Makoto said softly, "Tell her." 

Despite looking like a rabbit staring into a lion's mouth, Ami managed to stammer. "I-I t-t-thought you d-didn't want-" 

Makoto's eyes narrowed dangerously, although her voice remained casual. "Go on, Ami-chan. Tell her. Tell Rei-chan what you did." 

Minako and Hotaru chose that moment to walk into the cave. Minako said, "Great, you're all here. We need to-" She trailed off, surprised. Startled by the vehemence in Makoto's voice, Hotaru stopped as well. 

Ami looked to Minako for support. "Minako-chan-" 

"TELL. HER." 

Rei had had enough. "Tell me what?!" 

Minako looked as confused as Rei felt, then realization struck. "Oh! That." To Rei's further bafflement, Minako shrugged nonchalantly. "Mako-chan got married to one of the Ku'dath." 

"She did _WHAT_?!" Rei and Hotaru shouted at the same time. 

"Got herself hitched," Minako continued, in the same tone of voice. Striding forward, she whapped the seething Makoto on the back. "Yep, our little Mako-chan's finally decided to settle down with a man. A cat-man, but a man nonetheless." She sighed wistfully. "They grow up so fast!" 

"I didn't decide anything," Makoto fairly roared. "I was forced into marrying it!" 

Minako winced. "Could you be any louder?" 

Rei's brain started working again. "Mako-chan... You're... I mean... What in all the hells happened while I was away?" 

Leaning against Makoto, looking for all the world like she was trying not to laugh, Minako said, "Well, I was out of it for most of the time, but from my understanding there was this big fancy ceremony where the cat-guy said 'I do' and Mako-chan said 'I do' and bam! They were married." 

Rei resisted the urge to throttle Minako. Barely. "Minako-chan, what happened _before_ they got married. Why did she marry him... it... in the first place?" 

"Oh, you wanna know that." Ignoring the threatening glare Makoto was giving her, Minako pointed to Ami. "Have her tell you. She's responsible." 

"It was an accident," Ami said in a small voice. 

Makoto snapped. "An accident? An _accident_?! Ami-chan, falling down a flight of stairs is an accident. Tripping over a rock is an accident. This was _not_ an accident; it was a freakin' disaster!" 

"Or a 'cat-tastrophe.'" Minako grinned broadly. 

Makoto rounded on her. "Don't you _dare_ start!" Minako, still smiling, lifted her hands in surrender and backed away. 

Frustrated, Rei turned on Ami. "Ami-chan, _please_ tell me what's going on?" 

Staring down at the ground, Ami said quietly, "I made a deal with the Ku'dath." 

Hotaru leaned forward. "What kind of deal?" 

"Well, er, to shorten things quite a bit, in return for letting us stay in their winter den, they would get anything they wanted." 

Minako was enjoying Makoto's anger. She said, "The thing is that Ami-chan, who barely understands the Ku'dath tongue, used the word 'alliance,' rather than 'deal' or even 'trade.'" 

"Does it really matter?" Hotaru asked. 

"Of course it matters!" Makoto snarled. 

Minako leaned on Ami's shoulder and positively smirked. "In the Ku'dath tongue, 'alliance' has a different meaning than what we say it has. In their tongue, 'alliance' is the same as 'union.' 

"Basically, Ami-chan proposed a marriage!" 

Ami went several shades redder. "I didn't _mean_ to do that." 

Minako wasn't through. "So Ami-chan here suddenly blurts out that the Ku'dath can take any one of us and get hitched. Mako-chan agrees with her. And the next thing all of them know, Mako-chan's engaged to the Abradì's son!" 

There was a tense silence, broken when Hotaru sniggered. Makoto glared at her. "You want your stay with us to be a pleasant one, right, Hotaru?" Hotaru bit her lip, but her shoulders kept shaking as she struggled not to laugh. 

Rei looked at Makoto. "But, couldn't you just refuse? Or explain that it was a mistake?" 

"We tried," Ami said. Makoto glowered and added, "Apparently, women, even if their not the same species, don't get a say in things. I'm stuck with the damn cat." 

Rei bowed her head and massaged her forehead, the better to keep Makoto from knowing how close she was to guffawing. From this vantage she watched Ami and Hotaru both become extremely interested in the stone floor. 

Makoto glared at them all. Then, turning on her heel, she stomped back over to the wall and stood against it, radiating fury. Pointedly ignoring Makoto, Minako beamed and said loudly, "So! I hear Crystal Tokyo's only got two Senshi lurking around. We gonna do anything about that?" Minako sat cross-legged on the ground and motioned for the others to do the same. Rei did so slowly, keeping one eye on the irate Makoto. 

Hotaru met Rei's eyes. "I guess we could attack them." 

Ami shook her head. "A direct attack would be suicide; we simply lack the resources and the manpower to do so effectively. Not to mention that we're hardly in a position to launch an attack so long as we are here at the D-point." 

Hotaru frowned slightly. "What happened to the Tokyo Tower?" 

Minako said, "Venus and Mercury attacked it." 

"And they left quite a few Enforcers behind when they retreated," Ami added. 

Minako looked at her, surprised. "How'd you find that out?" 

Ami glanced at Rei, then down at her hands. "I have my ways." 

"Huh. Really?" 

"Really." Ami looked back up. "At any rate, it would be a waste of time for us to try and reclaim the Tokyo Tower, and even if we managed it Jupiter wouldn't let us stay there. She _can_ reach out that distance." 

"Then we don't let her know we're there," Makoto said as she joined the group. She crouched between Ami and Minako. "We sneak in and hit 'em when they're not looking." 

Ami said, "That's a decent idea, and it's certainly better than rushing headlong into certain death. Of course, we wouldn't be able to take everyone, and I wouldn't recommend it even if we could." 

Hotaru lifted a finger. "I think all of you are forgetting something very important: what the heck are you going to do once you're in there?" 

Minako sat in thought, eyes closed. "Ami-chan," she said slowly, "Those old generators are still in place, right?" 

"I belive so, Minako-chan. Why?" 

Minako opened her eyes. "I have an idea." 

When she didn't continue, Rei said, "Are you going to share this idea?" 

"Hm... maybe." Minako stood and beckoned to Makoto and Ami. "When I get the kinks ironed out, I'll let you know about it." 

"Minako-chan," Rei growled dangerously. 

Minako winked. "You know I love you, right, Rei-chan?" Ami gave Rei a sympathetic smile before following Minako and Makoto. 

After they left, Hotaru sidled over to the fuming Rei. "Wanna play cards?" 

"Oh, that's it. I QUIT!" 

* * *

Smiling to herself, Ami waved to the retreating Minako and Makoto. The duo were off to find the Abradì, the chief of the Ku'dath, to see if he would agree to helping in Minako's plan. Her foolhardy, dangerous, risky, _brilliant_ plan. There was even a good chance they could pull it off, too, provided that the other two necessary members decided to risk their necks. Minako and Makoto would take care of the demi- humans, leaving Terri to Ami. 

After nearly an hour of searching, though, it quickly became apparent that no one knew where Terri had gone. 

And then two boys bundled up for cold weather almost tackled her, and Ami nearly laughed at the simplicity of her answer. She followed the two boys as they hurried through a series of winding passageway. Three quick bends and short jump later she stood on a rocky ledge overlooking a half-built snow fort, blinking in the strong, if cloud- filtered light. The two boys were waddling through the snow towards the structure, where several more children of all ages were busy adding even more snow to the sprawling building. 

Ami looked around, wondering how the children had gotten down to ground-level when she spotted a flash of grey. Walking to the edge of the ledge, Ami sat next to Terri. "I thought I might find you here." 

Terri was absorbed in watching the kids build; she answered Ami with a distracted hum. 

Ami examined Terri; the other woman wasn't wearing a jacket. "Aren't you cold?" 

"Hm... what?" Terri looked at Ami, blinking. "Cold? Oh, uh... I... don't get cold." She looked away, shifting uncomfortably. "I mean, I can't feel it. I mean, I _feel_ it but I don't-" 

"I understand." 

"Oh." They sat in a not quite easy silence, watching as the construction crew below them got into a massive snowball fight. 

Terri sighed. "So what do I do now?" 

"That's up to you, Terri-chan. You're free to do whatever you wish." 

"Free?" Terri laughed harshly. "I haven't been 'free' since I first saw Minako at the University. I don't think I've had a choice in anything that's been going on since this whole mess started!" She stared accusingly at Ami. "Have I?" 

Ami looked down at her hands, folded in her lap. She said gently, "It must be difficult for you." 

Terri jerked back in surprise. Clearly, she hadn't expected Ami's reaction. 

Ami closed her eyes. "I suppose you never thought something like this would happen; that one day you would wake up, and realize that you're no longer what you thought you were. And you try to convince yourself that what happened before was just a dream, some sort of sick twisted delusion that your subconscious mind dredged it because you were studying too hard the night before. Only..." 

Magic lurked in the back of her mind, beckoning her. "Only it's still there. Stronger than ever and waiting to be used..." She could almost feel the gloves forming, softer than silk, stronger than steel, and stained red from the blood of countless people. Ami ruthlessly shoved the magic back into its confinement; power that great could drive a person to insanity. 

Self-loathing hardened her voice. "Back then, it was easy: evil would come, we would destroy it. The same thing over and over again, year in and out. And it didn't help that we all knew that we would still be alive now, in this time. Even when we died- twice!- it didn't matter. We were arrogant in our victories, and why shouldn't we have been? We had defeated Galaxia, the most powerful foe in the universe, what force could possibly stop us? 

"All it took one man. One half-crazed, pitiful man did what armies of evil could not. He took from us the only person we ever cared about, killed her in front of us, and not a single one of us were able to stop him." She looked up, let the full weight of her grief show in her eyes. "He destroyed us utterly, and we still haven't recovered." 

"Ami..." 

Ami lifted a hand to stop her. "Listen to me. When we discovered that Earth was going to freeze over, _I did not care._ I was perfectly content to let everyone die, but I had a promise to keep. We, Minako-chan, Rei-chan, Mako-chan and myself, we all swore an oath that, no matter what, we'd make Crystal Tokyo a reality. The Senshi have done just that, but not in the way we intended, not in the way _she_ would have intended, and that's _my_ reason for wanting them stopped. Not because they've done anything wrong, although they certainly have, but simply because I will not allow them to corrupt the dreams and wishes of the only innocent woman this world has ever had. 

"So I will take care of this, the largest mistake of my life, and, so help me, if I have to find a way to do it without you, I will." Her eyes narrowed. "So don't you _dare_ tell me you've had no choice in the matter. You've had more freedom in this situation than any one of us, only you're so wrapped up in your own self-pity that you don't even realize it." 

Ignoring the shocked vulnerability on Terri's features, Ami leaned forward and said with every bit of intensity she could manage, "In one week, I'm either going to be in Crystal Tokyo celebrating, or I'm going to be dead. Whether or not you go with us will not guarantee our success, but it _will_ make the likelihood of my surviving that much greater." 

She stood abruptly, and turned away, so Terri wouldn't see her fight for control. When she spoke, her voice was calm. "I want you to think about things, Terri-chan. Really think, and don't justify. If you're going to go with us when we leave, then let it be because you truly want to go with us, not because you feel that somebody forced you into it." Feeling suddenly a lot older, Ami started for the tunnel, leaving the stunned and silent Terri to her thoughts. 


	18. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
  
Chapter 18 -  
  
  
They needed her. 

It could've been as simple as that, but Terri refused to believe that anything could be that simple. 

_If you're going to go with us when we leave, then let it be because you truly want to go with us, not because you feel that somebody forced you into it._ Ami's words from earlier that day drifted back to her. 

Did Terri want to go with them? 

"You look miserable, Ganabile-san. What are you thinking about?" 

Terri jumped, startled by the sudden voice. While she had been busy brooding, the cave had nearly emptied. Only several people remained and even those were leaving. She looked up at the figure standing over her. "Hotaru!" Terri smiled sheepishly. "You surprised me." 

Hotaru sat across from Terri, on another pallet. "You have no idea how often I hear that," she said wryly. Her smile faded. "What were you thinking about?" 

"My friends," Terri said. "I miss them." 

"Well, you're the one that wanted them to stay on my island." 

"_Your_..." Terri shook her head and ignored the obvious question. "I know I wanted them to stay. I... didn't want them to think... to know that I'm..." She looked at Hotaru. "Do you know what I am?" 

"Nobody really knows what they are," Hotaru said cryptically. When Terri's gaze hardened, Hotaru chuckled. "Gomen. I've been spending too much time around Setsuna... which is really ironic considering who she is." She sobered. "Yes, I do know." 

Terri nodded and muttered, "Of course. Everybody else seems to know about me, why not Hotaru, too?" Louder, "Why are you fighting, Hotaru?" 

"Fighting?" Hotaru's expression grew distant. "I don't think I am fighting." 

"Then what are you doing? Why are you here?" 

"I'm waiting," Hotaru said softly. 

"Waiting?" 

Hotaru nodded. "I'm not a soldier, not in the sense the others are. I lack Mako-chan's strength, Rei's will, Minako's intensity, and Ami's patience. I don't have Michiru's intuition or Setsuna's certainty. Heck, I don't even have Haruka's unwavering self-confidence. All I've got is a talent for healing, and even that's incomplete." 

Terri frowned. "Incomplete? What do you mean?" 

Hotaru lifted her hands. "In order to truly understand life, you have to embrace death. And I've lost the ability to do so." She shook her head. "But enough about me. I'm a boring person. Let's talk about you, Ganabile-san." She leaned closer. "Why this sudden moodiness?" 

Terri looked down at her hands. "I need a reason, Hotaru. I thought... I thought I could just tag along with everyone, and just do what they needed me to, but Ami's right. If I just go around mindlessly obeying orders, I'm asking to be used. 

"I want to fight for myself, Hotaru. For my own reasons, and not because somebody told me to." 

"Then do it. Fight for yourself. Find a reason." 

"You make it sound easy," Terri muttered. 

Hotaru's smile was sad. "If you stop and think about it, everything is easy. The simplicity of the world can be downright scary sometimes." 

"Yes... yes, it can be." She looked up. "Hotaru, tell me... Tell me about the Senshi. What are they?" 

Hotaru's brow furrowed in thought. "Hm... well... I guess the easiest way to put would be that they're reflections of the Descendants. Twisted reflections, but reflections nonetheless. But that's only just the basics. What they _really_ are is power. Sheer unadulterated power given a human form that was loosely based off of their corresponding Descendant." 

"And is that why, when they die, their power goes into the Descendants?" 

Hotaru nodded. "To go back to the mirror example, there are three main parts: the reflections, which are the Senshi, the reflectors, which are the Descendants, and the mirror itself, which is the magic keeping the two separate. 

"Killing a Senshi is nothing more than destroying her physical body, since you really can't destroy power. Of course, if you kill a Senshi, all that power you've just released has to go somewhere, so it travels back to its source." 

"The reflector. The Descendants." 

Hotaru smiled. "Hey, you're catching on pretty quick." 

Now it was Terri's turn to nod. "So, as long as the Senshi lives, the Descendant lives." 

"Yes, but the reverse isn't true. You've got proof of that in Rei and Ami. 

"But, take it a step further, and you hit a new problem. A dead Descendant means that there's a dead Senshi somewhere, too." 

"What?" 

"What happens if you destroy the reflector? If there's nothing to reflect..." 

"Then there's no reflection." Terri finished, surprised. She grinned wryly. "Well, geez. If that's the case, why don't all of the Descendents just-" 

"No," Hotaru said sharply. "And you're a fool for even thinking it." With a glance over Terri's shoulder at something that Terri couldn't see, Hotaru laughed and added, "Although I'm pretty sure that Mako-chan and Rei have considered that option many, many times." 

* * *

Aino Minako was not in the best of moods. 

Getting the Ku'dath to do anything that they did not want to do was like trying to pull a rotting tooth from an angry, hungry lion while it was being attacked by bees. Fortunately, using skills honed from living with a talking cat for almost twenty years, she had convinced the Abradì to let her 'borrow' fifteen of his best warriors, and had convinced him that it was his idea to begin with. 

In fact, he had been so enthusiastic by _his_ idea that he thrown a celebration party, which Minako had escaped from by leaving Makoto in her place. The entire ordeal had left her with a serious migraine; all she wanted to do right now was find some quiet and drink something hot. Mostly, though, she needed to think about her next move. 

Which was why when Rei called her name softly, Minako grimaced and dragged her focus outwards again. 

Rei was ahead of her, crouching next to a cave entrance, half- hidden in shadows. She beckoned Minako closer, then returned her attention to whatever was going on inside. Heaving an internal sigh, Minako stood behind her and looked into the cave. 

It was one of the sleeping areas, currently empty save for Terri and Hotaru. The two were talking, but too quietly for Minako out the words. Watching them, Minako murmured to Rei, "You're missing one heck of an awesome party." 

Rei smiled slightly. "I don't think I'm missing too much." 

"Mako-chan's getting roaring drunk." 

"Then I take it back. I'm missing a ton." 

"Yeah, she's such a silly drunk." She looked down at Rei. "What're they talking about?" 

"Don't know. Can't hear. But, Terri-chan's pretty distraught. Whatever Ami-chan said, it hit her pretty hard." She glanced up at Minako. "What have you been doing?" 

"Playing the 'Happy Mediator' with the Ku'dath. How much of her memory was returned?" 

"About a third of it. I stopped after your coma. And it's the 'Happy Medium.'" 

"What?" 

"Forget it." 

"First coma or second coma?" 

"You were never in a second coma, Minako-chan. That was just a case of severe shock." 

"Sure felt like a coma to me," Minako said. "Why didn't you tell her the rest?" 

Minako felt Rei tense. "It's enough that she knows we're really the Senshi. The rest isn't important." 

"Rei-chan-" 

"It isn't important." Rei's voice was hard. 

Minako regarded the top of her friend's head. "Rei-chan, you shouldn't..." Frowning, Minako said instead, "After this is over-" 

"After it's over," Rei said firmly. She met Minako's eyes. "And not a minute before." 

Minako resisted the impulse to sigh. On this issue, there was no forcing Rei. Shrugging away the topic, she said, "Ami-chan thinks she can hack the generators in Crystal Tokyo." 

"What good will that do?" 

"With luck, she can overload them. Flood the magic grid and shut it down." 

"That would disable just about everything outside the Palace," Rei said thoughtfully. 

Minako nodded in agreement. "With most of the CTDF out of commission and the Barrier down, it'll be a cinch for you to sneak into the Palace and take out the Senshi." 

Rei almost knocked Minako down when she shot to her feet. "What?" 

Minako grabbed Rei's arm and hauled her back, out of sight as Hotaru looked in their direction. When Hotaru laughed and returned to the conversation, Minako leaned closer to Rei. "Listen, Ami-chan needs a direct link to the generators in order to hack it. Terri-chan and I are going to set that up. Mako-chan'll be with us, covering our backs. Ami-chan'll be busy hacking the network, and Hotaru's no good in a fight as she is now. That leaves you and the fifteen Ku'dath I wheedled out of the Abradì." 

Rei scowled. "You expect me to take on two Senshi?" 

"No, I expect you to delay them," Minako said calmly. "Rei-chan, unless Jupiter suddenly decides to commit suicide, you're the only one who can hold your own in a fight against them. You know that." 

Rei grumbled. "Yeah... yeah, I know." She gave Minako a look. "But you owe me for this." 

"What the heck do I owe you for?" 

Rei's smile was vicious. "You're making me deal with fifteen demi- humans that barely speak Japanese. What _don't_ you owe for?" 

* * *

Planning the downfall of the Senshi while pretending to be on Their side could be a tiring job, especially for someone who had not slept in thirty-seven hours. _Correction,_ Yoko thought fuzzily as she checked her clock, _Thirty-eight hours._

Her room was a mess, stacks of papers stood everywhere: on the floor, her dresser, a second blanket on her bed, and spilling out of her closet. The papers were records of Mercury's activities for the last five decades, and Yoko had gone through every sheet so often that it felt like someone had poured hot burning sand into her eye sockets. 

The only clear spot was the immediate area around her desk where she sat working on her computer. The papers strewn about were only a front, the real focus of her attention was the glowing screen floating above her desk, currently showing a top-down view of Crystal Tokyo. 

The entire city had been built in the shape of a large pentagram, with the Crystal Palace in the exact center. Lines of light radiated from the Palace, each connecting to a vertex on the pentagram. And at each vertex sat a glowing dot; the location of a generator. 

Those generators were responsible for eighty percent of the power in Crystal Tokyo. Because they were tied directly into the magic grid, if the generators failed, most of Crystal Tokyo would be without power. So, Yoko understood perfectly why Jupiter had increased the security around them. 

What Yoko couldn't understand was why Jupiter was only concerned with the generators. If the Descendants attacked, as Jupiter believed they would, then it would probably make much more sense to attack the Palace itself. After all, supposedly the Descendants were trying to take over Crystal Tokyo; it would make sense for them to leave as much of the City as intact as possible, to avoid rebuilding later. 

Yet Jupiter was certain to the point of smugness that the Descendants would make a go for the generators. Why? What did She know? 

Yoko stopped rubbing her eyes as it came to her. It wasn't that Jupiter knew anything; it was what _Pluto_ knew that made Jupiter so smug. 

Yoko laughed giddily. How could she have missed it? Pluto had been the one to tell Jupiter that Mars was dead. Pluto would have certainly told Jupiter where the Descendants would strike next! Pluto would know everything that was going to happen. Pluto- 

Pluto would know about Yoko's plans, too. "Oh, shit." 

"Such language. I'm tempted to take offense." 

Heart pounding, sleep forgotten, Yoko stood. In a single smooth motion, she grabbed the back of her chair and hurled it across the room. It crashed into the far wall hard to enough splinter and break. But, there was nobody else in the room. 

Yoko was alone. 

Breathing hard, Yoko stumbled into the center of her room. Shaking her head, she massaged her head. "I need to go to bed." 

"You need many things, Yoko. Right now, sleep is the least of them." 

Yoko spun. 

A woman sat calmly at Yoko's desk, watching Yoko with dark, blood- red eyes. She sat in a chair. 

Yoko's chair. 

The exact same chair Yoko _had just thrown across the room._

Backing away, Yoko fought with her panic. _How the hells did she get past my shielding? She's not dressed like a Senshi..._ Finally managing to master her voice, she said, "Who are you? And how did you get in here?" 

"My name is Meioh Setsuna. How I got here is unimportant. The only thing that is important is what you will do in these next few days." 

Realization. "You're a Descendant!" 

The woman's expression hardened. "I already told you that was unimportant. I have very little time to spend and I will not waste it listening to your worthless questions. Now. _Listen._" 

Yoko started to tell this Meioh woman what she could do with her time- 

-And jerked her head up as the alarm on her computer beeped softly. Checking the clock, she was surprised to see that two hours had passed. Muttering a stern reminder to not fall asleep at her desk, she set to work. She had very little time left. 

* * *

"I take it things went according to plan?" 

Setsuna lifted an eyebrow in mild puzzlement. Setting her teacup down, she said, "Whatever are you talking about, Michiru?" 

Michiru's smile was slightly smug as she slid into the seat across the table. "You only look this pleased with yourself when some part of your plan has gone the way you wanted it to." She leaned forward. "So, which part just happened to fall into place this time?" 

Setsuna favored Michiru with a disdainful look. "First of all, Michiru, I do not 'plan' anything; I have too much respect for Time to try and influence events." Michiru made a sound of disbelief, which Setsuna chose to ignore. "Second, even if I decided to influence Time, I would certainly tell you and Haruka the instant I chose to do so. Seeing as how you have not been informed, it is safe to say that I am not doing any such thing." 

"Or," Michiru said casually, "you could be influencing Time and just lying about it." 

In the act of sipping her tea, Setsuna met Michiru's eyes and said nothing. Deliberately, she placed the cup on the table and sat back in her chair. 

Michiru's eyes widened. "You are-" 

Setsuna lifted a hand, silencing Michiru. "As I have already said, _if_ I was influencing Time, you would be the first to know." Michiru frowned and seemed about to argue, but an explosion pulled both women to their feet. Michiru said, "That was near the pier!" 

Setsuna reclaimed her seat, chuckling quietly. "Water is your jurisdiction, so I'll let you handle things." 

Michiru's glance was wry. "You just don't want to admit the truth." 

Setsuna's answer was to gesture towards the rising column of smoke in the distance. 

Flashing Setsuna a final irritated glance, Michiru set off towards the beach at a run. 

Time ticked by. Setsuna watched as the distant smoke slowly changed from dark grey to white. She was finally beginning to relax when she heard the distinctive thump of something striking wood behind her. 

Setsuna said, "I could have gotten rid of her without your help. You might have injured someone." 

A soft voice. "I am not concerned with the welfare of your people." A pregnant pause, then, "Have you done as I asked?" 

Gazing into her cup, Setsuna said, "I have... completed my tasks. Should things proceed the way I expect them to, then You should have no problem carrying out Your end of the plan." 

"And the Descendants?" 

"Will no longer be a threat, so long as You and Yours are concerned." 

"Excellent. Her Majesty will be pleased." 

Staring down without really seeing anything, Setsuna muttered, "Long live the Queen." _I'm sorry, Minako._

* * *

Kino Makoto had passed drunk, skipped sloshed, and was well on her way to getting absolutely smashed out of her mind, much to the amusement of many of the Ku'dath gathered. 

"Y'know," she slurred to the panther-like demi-human sitting on her right, "yer not that bad lookin'... I mean, fer a cat... man... thing..." Gesturing with her shotglass, Makoto leaned so far over that she nearly fell into the Ku'dath's lap. Sitting to her left and looking only slightly put-out, her husband, known as Stormcatcher, suffered her behavior and the jabs of his fellow warriors in stony silence. 

The Ku'dath Makoto had addressed grinned broadly at Stormcatcher. _She's got spunk, Brother. And I think she likes  
me!_> 

Stormcatcher shot his Hunt-Brother a baleful glare and returned the mind-speech. _She isn't like one of your Felas, Trackless. She won't wave her tail for you._> 

_She doesn't have a tail._> 

_You know what I mean._> 

Smirking, Trackless gently pried Makoto's grip loose. He poured her another glass of tikil, the Ku'dath's highly intoxicating brew. 

Makoto stared into the glass. "This stuff tastes like horse piss." Tilting her head back, she downed the contents of the glass and exhaled explosively. "God, that's awful! Gimme more!" She held the glass out. 

Stormcatcher neatly intercepted Trackless as the Huntbrother started to pour more. To Makoto he said, "You had enough." He pulled the glass from her hands. 

Makoto stared at her empty hands for a long moment. "What the Hell..?" Squinting at Stormcatcher, she said, "D'ya know where my glass went?" Not waiting for an answer, she rose unsteadily to her feet and shouted, "Ya'll know where my glass went?!" 

Still sitting, Stormcatcher buried his muzzle in his hands. What had he been _thinking_?! 

When not a single one of the nearly two hundred assembled demi- humans answered her, Makoto muttered, "Damn mutants..." Then she brightened. "Y'know what ya'll need? Music! I'll sing for ya!" 

Stormcatcher made a desperate grab for Makoto as she staggered off, claiming she needed a platform to stand on, but Trackless blocked him. Trackless winked. _This should be interesting._> 

Stormcatcher stared sourly after his human wife. _Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to regret this?_>   



	19. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
  
Chapter 19 -  
  
  


_Time flies when you're preparing to die,_ Terri thought, and grunted painfully as Hotaru cinched the straps too tightly. The short woman muttered an apology and loosened the straps, allowing Terri to shift her backpack to a more comfortable position. 

Hotaru tested the straps. "Better?" 

"Much," Terri answered as Hotaru circled around in front of Terri. 

Hotaru nodded. "Then let's check the headset." 

The cavern swarmed with activity. Most of it was the general mass of people attempting to carve a routine out what could quite possibly be their new permanent home if the Descendants lost. The center of the activity, however, happened to be in the area termed "Ami's Camp," where Terri and the Descendants were preparing for departure. 

The decision to go with the Descendants hadn't been as difficult as Terri feared it would be. After all, she couldn't sit around and ignore the needs of five hundred people whose lives depended on her. And Shouji and Kiyomi wouldn't be safe until the Senshi had been dealt with. 

And, of course, there was Yoko. 

Hotaru gave Ami a thumbs up. The scientist pushed a button on her computer's console. "Testing, one, two, thr-" A high-pitched whine shot through the air and Terri ripped her headset off. Nearby, Rei and Makoto did the same. 

Smoke erupted from a bank of computers to Terri's right. One of Ami's assistants shouted, "Holy- Doctor Mizuno, we just lost the whole system!" 

Rei rounded on Makoto. "Dammit, Mako-chan, can't you keep it under control for five minutes?!" 

Makoto retorted, "_Me?_ You're the one that keeps frying the regulator!" 

"Quiet, both of you!" Ami's voice cut through the sudden tension. Slamming both hands on her table, she stood and glared at Rei. "Rei-chan, you're attitude isn't helping me work right now, so either get rid of it or go take it out on a wall." She swiveled her glare to include Makoto. "And I can't finish setting up the communication system if you keep blowing up my headsets with all of that infernal electricity. If you don't relax in five minutes, I'll _make_ you relax." 

Without waiting for a response, she turned to her assistants. "Mae, Colin, fix the headsets. Pierre, you and Hernandez fix the regulator. The rest of you get that OS back up and running in ten minutes, and this time make it work! I don't want to have to do this a fifth time. Got it?" When no one objected, Ami's small army scattered. Ami rubbed her temples and stalked away, muttering, "What does it take to get a cup of coffee in this place?" 

Terri, Hotaru, Makoto, and Rei watched them go. Finally, Terri whispered, "Woah..." 

Hotaru's laughter seemed incredibly loud in the stillness. "That's nothing. You should see her when she's mad." 

Makoto and Rei glared at Hotaru, then simultaneously turned and walked in opposite directions. Rei stalked over to where Mae and Colin were working and, from her new position, glowered at everyone in general. Growling to herself, Makoto paced restlessly, eyes focused on the floor. 

Leaning against the table where she had witnessed the whole thing, Minako met Terri's eyes and, with a wan smile, shrugged slightly. 

As people once again resumed tasks interrupted by the Descendents' outbursts, Hotaru sighed. "Well, I guess we've got some time..." she eyed Terri. "Let's go over the plan again." Terri nodded. 

It was absurdly simple. Minako, Makoto and Terri, dressed in the drab clothing of Crystal Tokyo technicians, would sneak into the generator building. While Minako and Makoto dealt with the guards, Terri would attach the module Ami needed to access the magic grid. 

While all of that had been going on, Rei and the Ku'dath would have infiltrated the Palace and engaged the Senshi. Terri, Minako, and Makoto would teleport to where Rei was. The Senshi would die. And there would be much celebrating. 

When Terri had pointed out that the plan wasn't very detailed, Ami had developed a strange facial twitch and said, "Yes, well, detailed plans don't exactly work well with Minako-chan's... unique... way of doing things." And she had walked away with a fixed smile on her face. 

Makoto's fierce insistence that Minako not be allowed to even _ look_ at anything mechanical did nothing to boost Terri's morale. 

After exactly ten minutes, Ami came back with Hernandez in tow; the aide carrying a metal armband. While he attached it to Rei's left arm, Ami spoke to them all, "Remember, while the magic grid is up you're going to have a very limited communication range. Basically, you'll all be able to talk to each other, but only Mako-chan will be in contact with me, since she'll be the only person outside. Rei-chan, you'll be incommunicado with everyone until the magic grid's down, then your headset should work." 

Rei grimaced. "Great. You know, I'm starting to hate cats." She lifted her arm. "And why am I wearing this thing again?" 

"Because you can't do a tandem jump while you're stronger than everyone else; the others would burn themselves out trying to match your level of magic. But don't worry, once you're in Crystal Tokyo, you can take it off." She turned. "Colin! Mae!" 

Headsets were re-issued and tested. When nothing blew up or blew out, Ami laughed her relief and told Minako they could leave anytime. 

Minako straightened, stretched, and grinned dangerously. "Then, let's get to work." 

* * *

  


Kneeling before Serenity's throne, Her staff conspicuously absent, Sailor Pluto fought to maintain an air of humility and fear. 

Neo-Queen Serenity exhaled gustily. "FOR WHAT PURPOSE HAVE YOU SUMMONED ME HERE, PLUTO? YOU KNOW I DO NOT LIKE TO BE DISTURBED." 

Pluto kept Her eyes locked on the ground. "I beg forgiveness, My Queen, but I thought it best to inform You that the Descendants are coming." She blinked twice, and amended, "Are already here. It might be wise if You were to relocate to the Outers' stronghold in Australia and-" 

"DO YOU SEEK TO COUNSEL ME ON WHAT _I_ SHOULD BE DOING? ARE YOU THAT MUCH OF A FOOL?" 

"Of course not, Highness," Pluto said quickly. "I just thought it would be wise for You to not be present when the Inners were destroyed. You know how distraught You get when one of Us dies." 

Silence. 

Then, "IS... SHE... WITH THEM?" 

"Yes, Highness. Terri Ganabile is with them." 

"AND THE CRYSTAL?" 

The eagerness in Serenity's voice almost made Pluto smirk. Almost. "Yes, Highness. Terri Ganabile has it with her. I am ready to implement a plan that will bring them both to You, and I would like-" 

"DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY, PLUTO." 

Pluto smiled inwardly. Rising, She kept Her eyes on the floor as She bowed and exited the throne room. 

Outside, ten of Her followers snapped to attention as soon as She appeared. She raked Her gaze among them, then She smiled. "The Queen has given Her permission. You may begin." 

* * *

  
With a final heave, two of the Ku'dath succeeded in forcing open the rusted door, and immediately every living creature in the area regretted it. The smell that poured out from the abandoned tunnel hit Rei like a wet fish to the face. A wet, stinky, moldy fish. "What the hell is that?" 

Stormcatcher's tail lashed furiously. Most of the Ku'dath were agitated, tufted ears laid flat back on their skulls. "Big animal inside. It rots." 

Breathing shallowly through her mouth, Rei blinked tears from her eyes. "What kind of animal stinks that badly when it dies?" 

Stormcatcher shrugged, an oddly human gesture for someone that looked like he'd start grooming himself at any moment. "We know soon." He looked at her. "Better question. What kill it?" 

Several of the Ku'dath, led by Trackless, were already venturing inside. Rei mimicked Stormcatcher's shrug as she went to join them. "I was trying not to think about that." 

* * *

  
Terri's stomach was trying to tie itself into tiny knots. Following closely behind Minako, she cast furtive glances at pedestrians as she and the Descendant pushed through the small double doors and entered the building that housed Generator Number 4. _I can't believe I'm doing this..._

Once inside, Terri and Minako stood in a short hallway, devoid of anything save for another, larger metal door. An Enforcer stood on either side of it, black visors hiding their faces. Security. 

"How do we get past them?" Terri whispered as they approached. 

Minako gestured for silence. Tugging her hat down lower, Minako started to walk past the guards. 

The one on the left grabbed her arm, "Senior staff only," he growled. 

Minako pulled herself free and gave him a withering glare. "What the hells do you think I am?" She asked, accent gone. Thankfully, nobody noticed Terri's surprised twitch. 

The two guards exchanged looks. The first guard said, "You're not in the computer." 

"Oh, for Pluto's sake..." Minako said, irritated. She folded her arms. "Look, pal, I've got too much work to do for some over-fed jock in tight pants to bother me about my rank. I'm senior staff, I'm going in, and, unless the two of you want to keep your manhoods intact, I suggest you both let us in." Her eyes narrowed. "Now." 

Again, the two guards exchanged looks. The second Enforcer looked at Minako. "I'm sorry, but we have our or-" 

"They can go in," the first guard interrupted. Turning, he touched the door and it slid open. He said to Minako, "You've both been cleared. We're sorry for the misunderstanding." 

"You better be," Minako said. She strode past the two guards. "Come on, Terri." 

Terri gave the two Enforcers a final look, then hurried after her. The door slid shut behind them. 

* * *

  
Whistling to herself, Makoto propped the unconscious technician against the wall next to lift. Standing, she walked to the center of the roof and surveyed the skyline of Crystal Tokyo. 

"_Somebody's in a good mood,_" her headset remarked. 

Makoto grinned and unslung her backpack. "I just made a new friend, Ami-chan." 

"_How long till your new friend regains consciousness?_" 

"If he's smart, an hour." Makoto knelt and opened her pack. She started removing pieces of machinery and assembling them. "How's my signal?" 

"_Loud, but not clear. But I expect the static to clear once you've set up the signal booster._" 

Makoto paused. "Huh... well that shouldn't take me too long. No telling how long Terri-chan and Minako-chan'll take. Maybe I should've brought a book." 

"_Why, Mako-chan, that's the first time I've ever heard you say that. And here I thought you didn't know how to read._" 

"Mental note to self: Hurt Ami-chan when I get back." 

* * *

  
The Number Four generator was big, nearly four stories tall. To Terri, it looked like someone had lopped off half of an egg and had carved a series of graduated arches out of what was left. The entire thing was steel-grey, and, towering over Terri and Minako, it thrummed so loudly that Terri swore she could feel her bones vibrating. 

Minako's expression indicated she felt it, too. 

Terri leaned closer. "How can they stand that humming all the time?" 

"They don't hear it. Only we do." Minako's jaw was clenched; Terri could see a vein in Minako's head pulsing. 

Parts of the generator were accessed by a series of catwalks and ladders. Illumination came from several rows of pale lights high up in the ceiling. Gazing up, Terri counted the number of people buzzing about the catwalks. "There aren't a lot of people here." 

"Fifteen, overall," Minako said. "And no Enforcers." She frowned slightly. "Even with just the senior staff, there should be more people here." 

"Maybe they're in a meeting?" 

"Maybe..." But Minako didn't look convinced. 

* * *

  
Makoto had just finished adjusting the last leg of the tripod when she felt a tingle along her back. Brushing hair out of her eyes, she straightened and surveyed the skyline again, a slight frown on her face. 

"_Mako-chan?_" 

Facing west. "Yeah, Minako-chan?" 

"_You see anything strange up there?_" 

"Not a thing. Just sky, some clouds, and a bird." She squinted. "Scratch that. I think the bird's a robot. How's things down there?" She glanced eastward. 

"_A little empty, but, other than that everything's peachy. Terri-chan and I are about to get started._" 

"Minako-chan..." 

"_Right... right. _Terri-chan's_ about to get started, and I'm going to stand here like a goof and pretend to be doing stuff._" 

"Good girl." As she turned towards the Palace, the tingling faded. She ran a hand through her hair. "Hey, Minako-chan..." 

"_Yeah?_" 

"Hurry up. I'm getting kinda jittery up here." 

* * *

  
Arms, shoulders, and legs burning, Terri crawled the rest of the way onto the catwalk and tried not to think about how high up she was. A nearby technician gave her amused smile before turning back to her work. Terri wasn't the least bit amused. 

"_You okay, Terri-chan?_" 

Terri crawled to the edge of the walkway and looked down. Even though she was still on the floor, Terri could still see Minako's grin. She wondered if Minako could see her glaring. "Minako..." 

Minako waved. "Keep going. You're halfway there!" 

Muttering oaths about over-enthusiastic bubble-headed blondes, Terri forced herself to her feet and lurched towards another ladder. 

* * *

  
_Stormcatcher, I smell fresh air. I think I found the exit>_

_Good, because I don't think I can handle the stench anymore.>_

_ How 'bout the human? Has she passed out yet?>_

Rei gave Stormcatcher a fierce glare. He smiled toothily. _No, Trackless, she hasn't. And I think she can hear us.>_

"Damn straight, I can," Rei growled, flashing the Ku'dath an irritated look, which provoked another smile from Stormcatcher. 

A system of sewers had carried them through the bowels of Crystal Tokyo. Twice, they had been attacked: first by a thing that might've been a snake crossed with an elephant, and second by the mate of the creature that had died way back at the tunnel entrance. It hadn't been too hard to kill, but Rei had been baffled by the fact that, even after death, the body refused to become anything other than a grayish haze to her vision. Stormcatcher had been equally puzzled, but, due to time, they had given up. 

Dark shapes ahead resolved themselves into Trackless, another Ku'dath named Frostmane, and two others whose names Rei had forgotten, but she recognized because they were identical twins. The quartet were gathered around an old ladder that led up to a closed hatch. At a mental command from Stormcatcher, one of the twins scurried up the ladder to examine the hatch. 

Stormcatcher turned to her. "This exit?" 

Craning her neck upwards, Rei nodded. "It should be, it's in the right place. Only one way to tell for sure, though." 

After a bit of fiddling and tugging, the hatch swung open, startling the twin and covering those beneath him in a shower of rusted metal and dust. Before the last of it had fallen, the Ku'dath was through the hatch, the remaining three swarming after him. 

From above came the distinct double thud of two bodies hitting the ground. 

Trackless' head poked through the hatchway and regarded Stormcatcher upside-down. _Tell the human she can come up now. We've... secured the exit._> The panther-man's mental voice was grim. 

Rei looked at Stormcatcher. The demi-human frowned as he sniffed the air. "I smell death." 

Rei scrambled up the ladder. 

Trackless helped her out. Blinking in the brighter light of the hallway, she immediately noticed the two Priests lying on the ground nearby. Both were dead. Both wore black. 

Pluto. 

Rei frowned. She turned to the other Ku'dath, saw they were gazing further down the hall, and turned to see what they were looking at. 

_Kami-sama..._

* * *

  
"_Aren't you guys done _yet_?_" 

"Don't know, Mako-chan. I'm not up there." Minako broke off as two techs walked past her. She grinned and waved at them until they were out of hearing distance, then sub-vocalized. "Terri-chan?" 

"_Done..._" Came the tired reply. 

"Groovy. Then let's go." 

"_Ugh... don't tell me I have to climb _down_ all those frickin' ladders... If I jumped, would you catch me?_" 

Smothering laughter, Minako said, "Of course not, Terri-chan. I'd let you-" The entire building rumbled. Minako's humor vanished. "Mako-chan, what was that?" 

"_I'm not sure... I didn't see anything._" 

The technicians had all stopped what they were doing and were looking upwards, at the ceiling. None of them seemed worried, but dread tightened Minako's stomach. Not caring who saw her, Minako ran her gaze along the lowest set of catwalks, chose one, and leaped several meters into the air. One somersault later and she landed neatly in the middle of the catwalk, eyes already scanning the catwalks higher up. 

Beneath her, the building rumbled again. "Mako-chan!" 

"_I'm telling you I don't see... What the Hell... Holy shi-_" A loud whump and a deafening roar. Something big had exploded. 

"Mako-chan? Mako-chan!" A high-pitched shriek tore through Minako's headset. Swearing fluently in seven languages, Minako ripped it off and vaulted up the catwalks towards Terri. 

The lights cut off, plunging Minako into total darkness. 


	20. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
  
Chapter 20 -  
  
  
Terri had been on a ladder when the explosion knocked her off. She struck the catwalk hard on her back, too dazed to be thankful she had only fallen a short distance. 

The lights cut off. 

Terri scrambled to her feet. One flailing hand caught a rail. She leaned against it, breathing hard and listening intently to the darkness. 

Nothing. No noise from her headset. No sounds from the technicians that should have been around her. Not even the generator's incessant throbbing. If she didn't know better, she would have thought she had been transported somewhere else. 

Tightening her grip, she muttered, "All right, Terri. Now what?" 

Get back on the ground, that was what. Just because she didn't hear any Enforcers didn't mean they weren't coming. She had to get to a ladder and find Minako- 

Something wrapped around her throat. She was hauled backwards, off her feet. Gasping, she grabbed whatever was strangling her, felt metal links slicing into her fingers. Just before she passed out, the chain vanished, leaving her panting for air. 

She heard someone walk in front of her. "You are Terri Ganabile?" An incredulous snort. "You are nothing more than a child!" 

The footsteps stopped in front of her. She sensed the blow coming, but was still too slow to dodge it. The kick landed on her chest, hard enough to throw her down the catwalk several meters, where she lay gasping weakly in the suddenly too thick air. Her ribs had been broken. Barely able to breathe, Terri curled around her pain, helpless to do anything as her attacker approached. 

"I will not die like the others did. I will not be trapped in _her_ mind, at _her_ mercy." 

Someone grabbed her by the neck and lifted her into the air. "To prevent that from happening, you will die." 

* * *

  
Having an affinity for both metal and light really came in handy sometimes, like now when, in the absence of all light, her powers let her know exactly where she was going. The total darkness had slowed her down, but, the instant her eyes adjusted she headed upwards again, more sure-footed than any mountain goat. 

Two things plagued Minako's mind as she vaulted from platform to platform. The first was the arrival of a Senshi, probably Venus, seconds after the lights had gone out. The second concerned Makoto; the explosion on the roof spawned all sorts of horrible images in Minako's mind, and the death of Minako's headset did nothing to make her feel better. But making sure Terri was okay was Minako's first responsibility. If something happened to Terri, everything was screwed. 

_Be okay, Mako-chan, because I can't afford to think about you right now._

A sudden glow from just above Minako drew her attention. She angled towards it. "Venus!" 

The Senshi turned her head slowly. She smiled as Minako thumped onto the center of the catwalk. "Minako... I was beginning to wonder where you were." 

Minako's eyes were immediately drawn to Terri, struggling in the Senshi's grip. "Let her go, Venus!" 

"And why would I want to do that?" the Senshi asked. Venus' hand tightened and Terri gasped. Venus' smile became predatory. "I would have much more fun if I killed her now." 

"I won't let You do that!" Minako said. 

A sudden prickling at the base of her neck was all the warning Minako had. Her feet swept out from beneath her, and she fell on her back with a pained grunt. 

With a casual downward sweep, Pluto swung the Garnet Orb at Minako's head, halting it a hand's span away from her face. The Senshi said cooly, "For once in your life, Aino Minako, be wise and stay down." 

Venus roared. "Pluto! What do You think You are doing?" 

"Fulfilling Serenity's orders," the Senshi of Time said with icy calm. "And those orders do not include the death of the girl. Hand her over, Venus. Now." 

Venus tossed Terri to the walkway, where the girl lay, gasping and clutching her throat. Light bloomed, and Venus held a length of chain between Her hands. "Inner Senshi do not take orders from Outers." 

"The order does not come from Me, but from the Queen Herself." Pluto shifted Her grip on Her staff. "Do You dare disobey the Queen?" 

Venus glared balefully, but allowed the chain to dissipate. "Of course not," She said harshly. "But, I will be the one to deliver the girl to Our Queen." 

Pluto shrugged marginally, showing that She didn't care. Minako gritted her teeth in frustration. If it wasn't for that damned orb hovering over her nose... 

Venus threw Minako a look full of malice before vanishing, taking Terri with Her. 

Pluto sighed. "Venus' one redeeming factor is that She is easy to manipulate." And then She, too, was gone. 

Minako lay on her back and wondered just when this day had gone so horribly wrong. 

* * *

  
Bodies lay everywhere. 

Rei stared, speechless, at the corpses on the floor of the hallway. There had to be at least twenty, maybe more. Most were followers of the Inner Senshi, a few were Enforcers. 

All of them had been beheaded. 

The air reeked of blood and urine, overpowering the rank sewage smell that radiated from the small group. A couple of the Ku'dath were breathing through open muzzles. Stormcatcher's ears were flat back against his skull. "Much fighting." 

"I can see that," Rei said, more sharply than she had intended. She nudged the two Priests in black with her foot. "These two still have their heads, so either they had just gotten here, or they're the ones that killed the others." She folded her arms. "I'm betting these two did it." 

Trackless' brows rose. He looked at Stormcatcher. _Two humans can do this?!>_ The mental speech buzzed, an unpleasant drone in Rei's mind. 

_The human thinks so.>_

"I'm still in the room," Rei growled. Damn mutants and their irritating telepathy. They were standing in the same room; what was wrong with normal speech? 

As if hearing her thoughts, Stormcatcher smiled at her, then his expression sobered. "This, I do not like." 

"I don't either." She frowned. "I know the Inners and the Outers don't get along, but this seems extreme." She shook her head. "At any rate, we should get going. The main level's four stories up and Serenity's throne room should be just a few floors higher." 

Stormcatcher looked at her. "'Should be?'" 

"We're... actually not sure... where Serenity's throne room is. Or what she looks like." Rei said. "Everyone we sent to spy on her's been killed." She smiled thinly, "Hopefully, the same won't happen to us. 

"Let's go." 

* * *

  
_The bird that wasn't a bird turned out to be much more than a robot when it dove, screeching, at her head. It exploded mid-flight, intense light had filled the sky, blinding her. There had been a sickening crunch that made her scream. Unconsciousness, when it came, had been a relief._

With a thick groan of pain, Kino Makoto returned to the world of the living. She hurt everywhere: head, arms, legs, there didn't seem to be a single point of her body that hadn't been tenderized. She couldn't feel her hands, someone had tied her wrists behind her back, cutting off the blood to her fingers. Coughing weakly, she opened her eyes. 

Tile met her gaze, a floor full of white octagonal tiles stretched from wall to wall. She lay off to one side, near a wall who's color she couldn't see. Makoto stared, uncomprehendingly, at the crystalline walls, the green one in particular. Something about the room she lay in was important, enough so that warning sirens were going off inside of Makoto's head. 

She'd been here before. Something told her she hadn't enjoyed her previous visit, either. 

Boots entered her field of vision. Jupiter leaned over Makoto. "Did you sleep well?" 

"Screw you," Makoto rasped. 

Jupiter smirked. "As imaginative as ever." She straightened. "Yoko." 

"Just a few more minutes, Excellency," came the immediate reply. 

Jupiter nodded and turned away. "Good. The less time I spend bound to this human, the better." 

Makoto gritted her teeth and forced herself to sit up and take a better look around. She was at the one point of a large, black octagon that had been drawn on the floor. Jupiter stood opposite of her, with her back to Makoto, staring at a birds-eye view of Crystal Tokyo and apparently oblivious to everyone else. Between the two of them paced a Priestess of Venus, muttering to herself in what sounded like Latin. 

Makoto said to the Priestess, "You're Terri-chan's friend." 

The Priestess glared at Makoto. "I don't have any friends." 

"She's pretty worried about you." 

"I bet she is," Yoko said dryly. 

Makoto shrugged, using the movement to cover her testing the strength of the ropes that held her. They didn't feel too tight; ordinarily, Makoto wouldn't have had trouble snapping them, but she was still disoriented and weak. She'd have to time this perfectly if she was going to escape at all. 

"Oh, she is," Makoto said lightly. "Her whole reason for coming back to Crystal Tokyo was to make sure you were okay." By rhythmically flexing and relaxing her arms, she loosened the knots enough to return circulation to her fingers. 

Yoko stopped pacing and glared at Makoto. "You're lying!" 

"I never lie." Was it Makoto's imagination or did Jupiter just twitch? "I am confused, though. I mean, why would Terri-chan care about such a stuck-up, selfish, self-centered, arrogant twit is beyond me." 

"Why you-" Yoko whirled on Makoto, one hand dipping into the sleeve of the other. Makoto tensed. 

"Yoko." Jupiter turned her head slightly. The Priestess froze, panic etched on her features before smoothing to blankness. Makoto forced herself to relax, and smiled innocently. "I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?" 

Yoko separated her hands, and almost visibly had to force them down to her sides. Turning, she bowed to Jupiter's back. "Everything is ready, Lady Jupiter." 

Jupiter faced Yoko, favoring the Priestess with a false smile. Her gaze slid to include Makoto. "Well, it seems as if your time has finally expired." 

"Oh, I don't know about that," Makoto said. 

Yoko stalked forward. Crouching, she grated something that might've been Latin, and pressed two fingers against Makoto's forehead. 

Heat blasted through Makoto's body, racing through her veins to focus on a single point on her forehead, and at that point someone slammed a spike of power straight through her skull, nailing her to the floor. And through it all, she remained awake, aware, and unable to move. 

From a great distance, she heard Yoko speak. "Come forth! all ye that would witness this: the merging of Power and Powerless, the re-awakening of the Gift. I, Osaka Yoko, invoke the spell of Binding!" 

Jupiter gasped, "What have you _done_?!" And Makoto watched the Senshi fall to her knees, one hand clutching her chest, body wracked with convulsions. Jupiter's body flickered, fading in and out. 

Yoko laughed. "What's the matter, Jupiter? Not feeling like your usual, over-bearing self?" She glanced at Makoto and sneered. "Or, maybe you're feeling more like your old self, huh?" 

Jupiter's eyes widened. "You fool! If you kill me, you will die as well!" 

Yoko pulled a knife from the sleeve of her robe. She smiled maliciously. "But, I won't be killing _you_, will I?" 

In sickening slow motion, Makoto watched, helpless, as Yoko brought the knife down. 

The world exploded into a haze of red pain. 

* * *

  


Fear. 

It was not an emotion Jupiter was used to feeling, for not much scared a Senshi. Death itself, while tragic, was nothing more than a phase, a transition from the physical to the non-physical. So long as Makoto lived, Jupiter would exist in some way or another. 

All that had changed as Makoto stiffened, let out a single, gurgled cry, and stopped moving, lying in a slowly spreading pool of red. In that instant, as Yoko stood, robe stained with blood, Jupiter knew Her life span had been reduced to a few desperate heartbeats and a handful of shuddering breaths. A disconcerting numbness had begun to spread out from the center of Her chest, and, in a short time, She wouldn't even feel that. 

_I will not allow it._

Fury welled, and with it came a semblance of the strength that was rapidly draining from Jupiter. She rose to Her feet, feeling ethereal hands plucking at Her body, tugging Her off-balance. If Makoto's death didn't kill Her, the spell Yoko had cast certainly would. Damned if She did... 

Yoko saw Her rising, and sneered. "Well, well... Going to slit my throat now, Jupiter?" 

"You have cut your own throat, Yoko," Jupiter said coldly. Ignoring the fact that the floor had begun to tilt at odd angles, She started forward, sparing Yoko the barest of glances. "The pathetic thing is that you are not even aware of what you have done." 

Yoko's confidence wavered, before her face filled with contempt. "You're a sore loser, did you know that? A big, sore lo-" 

"_You_ are a fool, and I am done wasting time on you," Jupiter said irritably. The effort nearly undid Her, but She managed to lift Makoto into Her arms. She turned to Yoko. "All you have done is break the mirror." She smiled insincerely. "Congratulations." 

Yoko opened her mouth, but a sudden, sharp crack silenced her. She turned, followed Jupiter's gaze. Behind her, the emerald wall had fractured, silver liquid seeped then poured into the room, coming faster as the wall gave way to the pressure. 

Jupiter said, "Reap your reward, Heretic." 

She had the satisfaction of seeing the woman scream in impotent fury, and then Jupiter teleported, leaving Yoko to her fate. 

* * *

  
Rei stared at Stormcatcher in open astonishment. "They're all dead? _All_ of them?" 

"Not all. The black ones live," the Ku'dath said. He brandished his left arm, revealing a long gash. "And fight. But, not well." He smiled then, and Rei carefully avoided noticing that his muzzled was tinged red. 

Rei shook her head. Everyone they had come across- be it Enforcer, Priest, or Priestess- had been dead. Rei had assumed that the slaughter had been restricted to the lower levels but now, six or seven floors above the main level, she was quickly beginning to realize that there _wouldn't_ be anyone alive. 

She massaged her temples while she muttered, "There's a simple explanation. I know it." 

Stormcatcher snorted. "We won. That simple enough?" 

Rei shook her head. She looked around the hallway they stood in. "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the reason why all of the followers of the Inner Senshi are dead, why Pluto's people have been on a murdering spree, and-" Rei grimaced. _And why the hells haven't I been able to contact the others?_ "This doesn't feel right." 

Stormcatcher was staring at her. "You eat bad food?" 

Gritting her teeth, Rei added another item to her mental list of reasons why she hated dealing with demi-humans. "No, I did not eat something bad, Stormcatcher. I-" A close-range teleport silenced her. She tilted her head, listening. "Did you hear that?" 

"Did I hear what?" asked a voice that did not belong to a Ku'dath. Rei's head snapped around so fast she risked whiplash. "Minako-chan!" 

"Yo." Minako waved jauntily as she approached Rei and Stormcatcher. She sounded cheerful enough, but the expression in her eyes told a different story. Rei frowned. "Where's Mako-chan and Terri-chan?" 

"They're around here somewhere," Minako said. She met Rei's eyes and Rei suddenly heard _We need to talk. Now._> 

Thankfully, Stormcatcher didn't see Rei flinch. 

"What-" Rei begin. Minako hooked Rei's arm and dragged her away, all the while smiling disarmingly at Stormcatcher. "Stormcatcher, mi amigo, I'm gonna borrow Rei-chan for a few minutes, so you and all your pals can just keep doing whatever it is you're doing, mm'kay?" 

"What is wrong with you?" Rei hissed. 

Still smiling, Minako backed away, rambling so quickly that neither Rei or Stormcatcher could get a word in edgewise. But, her fingers dug into Rei's arm as she dragged the both of them around a corner and out of Stormcatcher's sight. 

Immediately, Minako dropped her hand. Rei rubbed her arm, massaging circulation back into her hand. "Kami-sama, Minako-chan, what's going on? Where are the others and how in the name of every god there is did you learn telepathy?" 

Minako stopped walking. Folding her arms, she leaned back against the wall and looked down at her feet. Rei's irritation gave way to a small knot of worry in her stomach. "Minako-chan? Minako-chan, what's wrong?" 

Minako took a deep breath. "Rei-chan..." 

Premonition slammed into Rei, and she doubled over, fighting for breath. An image appeared in her mind, a room. Acting on instant, she caught a startled Minako by the wrist, and teleported to the place she had seen. 

The room was dark, thick, heavy drapes covered all of the windows. But it wasn't so dark that Rei couldn't make out the large bed or the crumpled shape on top of it. "Mako-chan!" 

"Shit!" Minako spat as she and Rei ran to their friend. Rei's blood turned to ice, the hilt of a knife stood out clearly from Makoto's chest, surrounded by a spreading pool of blood. Her eyes were still open, they stared blindly at the ceiling. 

Minako reached her first, pressed two fingers against Makoto's throat. She almost collapsed with relief. "Still alive." She turned her head slightly. "This was done recently, the knife's still hot." 

A slight tremor ran through Makoto's body and Rei realized that Makoto was probably aware of what was happening around her. She lay a hand on Makoto's forehead and concentrated. "It's more than the knife wound. Something's been done to her magically." She turned to Minako. "We have to get her to Hotaru." 

Staring at the knife hilt, Minako frowned, but said nothing. 

Rei caught her shoulder. "Minako-chan!" 

Minako blinked rapidly. "Wuh? Hotaru?" She straightened and backed away. "Yeah, take her there. Can you manage it?" 

Rei nodded and, careful to avoid making the wound worse, she lifted Makoto. "Hang on, Mako-chan." 

* * *

  
As soon as Rei was gone, Minako stalked over to the windows and ripped down the drapes. Light flooded the room, bright enough to sting Minako's eyes. She stared out and down at Crystal Tokyo, spread out beneath her. If she squinted, she could just make it a hint of darkness at the horizon. The Tokyo Tower. 

"Would you have done it, Minako? Would you have actually let Makoto lie there and die just to get rid of Me? I know the thought crossed your mind when you realized I was here. I also know that this is not the first time you have had to make such a choice. I wonder if your companions know that." 

Pain lanced up Minako's arms. She glanced down, saw that she was clenching her hands so tightly that her fingernails had broken skin. It was difficult, but she forced herself to relax. 

"Thankfully for you and your conscious, it no longer matters if Makoto lives or not. That damn heretic's spell is still at work and, very shortly, I will be nothing more than a transformation phrase to that woman." A pause then, sarcastically, "That must make you very happy, doesn't it?" 

Minako turned. "Believe me, Jupiter, nothing would make me happier than seeing you dead." 

Jupiter lounged on the bed, Her back to one of the bedposts. She smiled. "Except, perhaps, seeing Venus die a cruel, agonizing death." 

Minako's expression didn't change. "What does Serenity want with Terri-chan?" 

Jupiter arched in eyebrow. "Her Majesty?" A shrug turned into a series of convulsions and Jupiter's body faded to the point where Minako could see the bed through Her. When the fit passed, and Jupiter was still there, Minako released a breath she didn't know she was holding. Jupiter muttered, "That, I do not know. Recently, the Queen has been spending much time by Herself, and has refused to see any of Us. However, a few hours ago, She spoke with Pluto, and, shortly after Their meeting, I felt Her leave the Palace." 

Pluto, again. "Where did She go?" 

"There are few places the Queen would bother to visit. My guess would be that She has gone to Australia. Our followers... or, rather, the Outers' followers, have been relocated there." 

Some of Minako's anger slipped into surprise. "Then... You knew." 

"That Pluto ordered My followers killed?" Pluto opened Her mouth, changed Her mind, and said instead, "Venus is supposed to be the one lying here, dying, not Me. _I_ am supposed to have complete supremacy of Crystal Tokyo by now." She lifted Her hands, watched as they briefly flickered out of existence. She looked up at Minako. "Plans rarely work out they way they were intended to, do they?" 

Minako spun away. "Only a god would think they would." 

A bitter laugh gave way to silence. Finally, Jupiter said, "Search Mercury's labs. That is where-" When Jupiter didn't finish, Minako looked behind her, but she was the only one in the room. 


	21. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
  
Chapter 21 -   
  
  


"You'll be happy to know that Mako-chan'll be fine. Whoever stabbed her had lousy aim and struck mostly bone. Hotaru sealed the wound, but it'll be a few days until Mako-chan recovers completely. She lost a lot of blood." 

"Why didn't Hotaru just heal Mako-chan completely?" 

"She's too weak magically to heal someone with our level of magic. That is, not until Saturn's been dealt with." Clean, wearing a fresh change of clothes, Rei followed Minako as they walked the halls of the Palace. 

"I see." Minako stopped walking before a pair of large doors. "I've been looking around the Palace while you were gone. I don't know how they designed this place, and I can't figure what half these rooms are for." She pushed the doors open. "But, this is the strangest room. See if you can make sense out of it, Rei-chan." She motioned Rei in front of her. 

The room was small and dark and cylindrical, the only feature a deep, circular pool that took up most of the floor. Blue light glimmered in the depths, reflected off the ceiling, setting off flashes deep within the crystalline walls, and was the only source of illumination. The surface of the water was still, almost unnaturally calm. Breathing in air that suddenly felt to thick, she walked further into the room, stopped to crouch at the edge of the pool. "There's so much magic here," she whispered. "More than all the Senshi combined, focused right here in the water." 

From her position near the door, Minako said, "I thought it might be a bath, but if you look closer you can see there's no bottom to that pool, and I can't tell how deep it goes." 

Rei nodded absently. Shifting to a more comfortable position on the slick tile, she pulled the sleeve of her sweater up, baring to her right arm to the shoulder. "Make sure I don't fall in, Minako-chan." 

"What! Rei-chan, what're you do-" 

Rei plunged her hand into the water and- 

* * *

Something, a presence, woke Me. I opened My eyes, searched for the intruder. I spotted Her immediately; in the darkness of My prison, any living being stands bright, but Her shine, even flawed as it is, is brightest of all. "VENUS." 

Her arrogance slipped somewhat; She knew I was not happy to see Her. "Highness, I... I have brought You the girl. As You ordered." 

"I DO NOT RECALL GIVING _YOU_ THAT ORDER." She flinched at My tone, as She should have. "WHERE IS THE GIRL?" 

Venus stared at a point beneath Me, at the surface of the pool. "I left her with the Outers." She hesitated, then looked up, directly at Me. Her gaze hardened. "Highness, that child has destroyed Mercury and Mars. She must be dealt with before-" 

"YOU _DARE_ TO LOOK AT ME?!" A thought slammed Venus back, into a wall with enough force to crack to the thick stone. She collapsed in a limp heap. From Her position near the door, a sketch of a smile appeared on Saturn's face. 

After a full minute, Venus twitched, and pushed Herself up. Her voice, when She spoke, was subdued. "My apologies, Highness. I did not mean to lose control of Myself." She stood, careful to keep Her eyes on the floor. "It is just that... Highness, what is so important about that girl?" 

If I had been able to, I would have smiled. "WITHIN HER LIES THE KEY TO MY FREEDOM, VENUS." 

"Your... freedom?" 

Saturn abruptly spoke. "We are being watched." The blade of Her glaive flashed- 

* * *

"Rei-chan? Rei-chan, can you hear me?" 

Rei stared, unseeing at Minako's face. Suddenly, her gaze snapped into focus and she blinked. "Minako-chan?" 

Relieved, Minako moved away slightly, and only then did Rei realize she was lying on her back. With Minako's help, she managed to sit up. From the elbow down, her right arm was completely numb. "What happened?" 

"You tell me. One second you're being an idiot and plunging your arm into that water, the next you're screaming bloody murder." She tugged at on of her ears. "I think I'm deaf." 

"It would serve you right," Rei muttered. An unsuccessful attempt at wiggling her fingers made her sigh. "We have a problem: the Outers have Terri-chan." 

Minako looked at the pool. "You saw her?" 

"No, I saw Serenity, Venus, and Saturn. They were talking about her, in a room a lot like this one." She scowled. "But that room could've been anywhere in the world. How the heck do we find her?" 

Minako stared at Rei, surprised. "Wait... you saw Serenity? You actually _saw_ Serenity?" 

"Yes... No... It's hard to explain." Rei closed her eyes, using darkness to help focus her jumbled thoughts. "It's... It's like being locked in an empty room, knowing that there's a venomous snake waiting to kill you, but no matter how hard you search, you can't find it." She opened her eyes. "I _knew_ Serenity was in the room. I could hear her, I could sense her, but if I tried to focus on her, on what she was, she vanished." 

"Okay, so when you didn't focus on her, what did you see?" 

"I don't know. But, I think I'm beginning to understand why we never found out what she looked like. 

"Serenity doesn't have a body of her own, she couldn't and live. The sheer amount of power pouring off her would destroy a physical body, and any normal person coming into contact with her would just simply burst into flames." She put her good hand to her head. "I think I'm lucky the same didn't happen to me." 

"That's ridiculous, she has to have a body. Why else have a throne room? What's she gonna do? Hover over it?" 

Rei shook her head and sighed. "I don't know. I just don't know. All that raw power... if she ever focused it on something..." 

Minako said, "I don't know, either, but we'll solve that problem later. Right now, I want you to go back to the D-point and start organizing people for transport." She laughed suddenly. "We spent all that time fixing the place up, and now we don't even need it." When Rei started to protest, Minako continued blithely, "Have Hotaru or Ami-chan look at your arm. Oh, and tell the Ku'dath.. Screw it. I'll tell them myself." She stood. 

Grimacing, holding her numb arm close to her body, Rei climbed to her feet. "Minako-chan, I think I need to-" 

Minako stopped so quickly Rei nearly ran into her. Minako faced Rei. "You do realize that arguing with me would be a big waste of time, dont'cha, Rei-chan? You do? Good." Grinning in a completely infuriating manner, Minako waltzed off, whistling. 

Rei glared at her back. _I'm gonna kill her. One day, I'm just gonna SNAP and kill her!_

Minako smirked over her shoulder, "You should, but you won't. 

"Ja ne, Rei-chan!" 

* * *

Hotaru observed the scene with frustration. A full-scale war had developed, although in all the chaos and snow, it was hard to tell which side was winning. Or who was on which side. Then again, as Hotaru peered closer, she realized there really didn't seem to be any sides at all. But none of that was the point. 

She waded through the snow, taking cover behind hastily built walls, until she finally located her quarry, camped out in a trench with three others. Hands on her hips, she glared down. "You are supposed to be resting!" 

Makoto grinned. "I am resting. Incoming!" She pulled Hotaru into the trench as a volley of badly aimed snowballs flew past. 

Hotaru brushed snow off, only to be pelted in the head by another snowball. She said, "You call this resting?" 

"I'm lying down, aren't I?" 

Hotaru looked past Makoto. "And you're letting her do this?" 

Ami smiled. "I gave up trying to stop her an hour ago." 

Makoto laughed at Hotaru's glower. "Relax, Hotaru, I'm fine. The kids'll keep an eye on me." She looked at the two boys. "Ne, guys?" 

"Right!" The duo chorused. One boy added," Nothing'll happen to Mama Mako!" 

Hotaru couldn't help it, she snickered. "'Mama Mako?'" 

"Tell the others and I'll kill you." 

Ami laughed. 

Makoto stood. "Right, then!" Hefting a snowball, she pointed at a nearby wall, where several children screamed and dove for cover. "Charge!" Hotaru ducked as Makoto and the two boys scrambled out of the trench. 

Ami poked her head up over the edge. "Oh! There goes one boy... and there goes the other... I think Mako-chan's going to make-" 

"Aaaaa!" 

Sliding back down, Ami grinned. "She didn't make it." 

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "How do we get out of here without being mistaken for enemies?" A blast of heat answered her. She looked up at the top of the trench to see Rei looking around, puzzled. "What the heck is going on here?" Her expression grew alarmed. "And why is Mako-chan half-buried in snow?" 

Ami said, "Ano, Rei-chan, you might want to-" 

A dozen snowballs smacked into Rei, and she tumbled backwards, into the trench and narrowly missed landing on Ami and Hotaru. 

"Duck," Ami finished lamely. 

* * *

"I leave you alone for one hour and I come back to find you playing in the snow like some kid! You are supposed to be resting!" 

Makoto draped her towel around her shoulders, and said patiently, "I'm fine, Rei-chan." 

Pacing, wisps of steam rising from her hair and clothing, Rei said, "You were stabbed, Mako-chan. _Stabbed_. You almost died two hours ago! Do you know how much blood you lost?" 

Makoto squeezed the excess water out of her shirt. "Rei-chan, I don't need you to lecture me, and you're too old to be doing it, anyway." 

Rei opened her mouth to argue, closed it, and swiveled to where Hotaru and Ami sat on another cot, trying their best to keep straight faces. "How could you let her do this, Ami-chan? You're a _doctor_, for crying out loud!" 

Ami shrugged. "Have you ever been able to make Mako-chan do anything she didn't want to do?" And Hotaru added, "If she says she's fine, then she's fine." 

"It's a conspiracy," Rei muttered. 

"Fnord," Ami said quietly, and Hotaru started laughing, choking it off when Rei glared at them. 

Makoto's grin vanished. She leaned forward, studying Rei closer. "What happened to your arm, Rei-chan?" 

Ami stood and caught Rei's right arm. She hissed in surprise. "It's freezing cold." She pushed Rei towards the seat she had vacated. "Sit down. Flex your fingers. Are you flexing them? Never mind, just tell me how this happened." 

While Ami examined Rei's arm, Rei told them of the room with the pool, and what she had seen after she had plunged her hand into the water. When she was done Hotaru said, "How is Minako going to find Ganabile-san? That room could be anywhere in the world." 

"That's what I said, but- Ow! Ami-chan!" Ami stood and Rei flexed her hand, grimacing. "Geez, is it supposed to hurt this much?" 

"Australia," Makoto said abruptly and was surprised that she had spoken. When everyone looked at her, she shrugged. "It... just kinda popped into my head while you were talking, Rei-chan." She frowned slightly as she folded her arms. "But, the more I think about it, the more certain I am. Terri-chan's in Australia, but I don't know why I'm so certain." 

Rei and Ami looked at each other. Ami shook her head. "I don't recall gaining any specific memories from Mercury." 

And Rei said, "All I ever got from Mars were some strong emotions, but those faded after a few hours." She met Makoto's eyes. "Mako-chan, are you telling me that you actually know some of the things that Jupiter knew?" 

Makoto considered the question, and said thoughtfully, "I'm not really sure. I think something you said triggered something in my head." 

Hotaru said, "Maybe we can trigger it again. Do you remember anything else, Rei? Anything more specific?" 

Rei closed her eyes. "Something Serenity said... 'Within her lies the key to my freedom.'" She opened her eyes. "Anything, Mako-chan?" 

Keeping her movements slow and deliberate, Makoto pulled her towel off her shoulders and neatly folded it and set it beside her. Only then did she look at the others. "We need to go to Crystal Tokyo. Now." 

* * *

The lab was a mess: tables were overturned, computers and cabinets smashed in, and glassware, metal, and chemicals lay scattered everywhere. And that wasn't taking the bloodstains into account. Hands on her hips, Minako thought, _Well, at least they removed the bodies._

She walked into the room, crunching shards of glass underfoot. Three Ku'dath crouched in the center of the room, sifting through a pile of debris, and one of them looked up at her as she approached. Minako said, "Did you find anything?" 

The Ku'dath, tall, lanky, and with the characteristic small head and spots of a cheetah, shook his head. "No." He lifted part of what had been a beaker. "Crap." 

_Nothing significant, then. Jupiter, what am I supposed to be looking for?_ Minako sighed. "Thanks, guys. I'll take it from here." As the trio stood, she caught the cheetah-man's arm. "If you guys find anything else, be sure to let me know, okay?" She smiled. "And tell Stormcatcher I owe him one." The Ku'dath, who probably hadn't understood one word in three, nodded and Minako released him. 

Alone, Minako surveyed the lab. "Dammit, Jupiter, why didn't you just tell me straight out?" 

"Maybe because you're smart enough to figure things out on your own." 

Minako turned, and felt some of her tension ease. "Mako-chan! Er... shouldn't you be-" 

Makoto held up a hand. "Don't say it. Please. I've been taking flak all day long, I don't need it from you." 

"Well, maybe if you would actually obey your doctor's orders instead of running around. You're only human, Mako-chan." 

"Yeah, yeah." Makoto righted a table and sat on it. "Better?" 

"A little." Minako sat next to her. "Where are the others?" 

"Looking for you. This is a big Palace, so we split up. I had a feeling you'd be here." 

"You remember," Minako said. Makoto nodded and looked around, avoiding Minako's eyes. Makoto said, "Certain things, yeah." 

Minako buried her hands in her hair. "I screwed up, Mako-chan. Serenity's got Terri-chan and I've got no idea how we're gonna get her back." 

"You haven't screwed up," Makoto said gently. "You'll think of something, Minako-chan. You always do." 

"And if I can't?" 

"Hm..." Makoto tugged on a strand of hair, and smiled. "Then we'll just have to kick you out and I'll be the leader." 

Minako snorted. "You couldn't lead the others out of a wet paper bag." She grinned. "Thanks, Mako-chan." 

"No problem," Makoto said. She stood and surveyed the room. "So, what exactly are we looking for?" 

"I don't know. I've had the Ku'dath turn this place upside-down, but..." She scowled. "Nothing but junk." Makoto walked over to one of the walls and begin to tap on it. Minako followed her movements. "What are you doing?" 

"Listening," Makoto answered. "If you didn't find anything in the room, maybe you weren't searching hard enough." One of her taps produced a hollow thunk and she glanced at Minako. "See?" 

Minako leaped to her feet and ran to the spot Makoto indicated. She ran her hands along the smooth surface. "Mako-chan, I love you. I really do." She beamed. "And I'm sorry for that paper bag comment." Clearing a space around the section of wall, Minako backed up, braced herself, and slammed her shoulder into the wall. With a loud crack the entire section of the wall collapsed, spilling Minako into cold darkness beyond. 

Coughing in the thick cloud of dust Minako had raised, Makoto stepped into the new room and helped Minako to her feet. Minako groaned. "I think I just dislocated my shoulder." 

"Nobody told you to do that," Makoto said, but her voice was distracted. Minako caught her breath. 

The light spilling from the laboratory revealed a rectangular room, longer than wide. A series of tubes lined either wall, stretching from floor to ceiling, each full of a thick bluish liquid. Bodies, humanoid but completely void of features, like blank mannequins, hung suspended in most of the tubes. There had to be at least twenty or thirty. 

Makoto said, "Clones. She was using unfinished clones." 

Minako matched Makoto's grim tone. "I think it's time we found the others." 

* * *

They gathered near the center of the Palace, in what Minako had dubbed the War Room, significant only because it contained a large, panoramic view of Crystal Tokyo. While Rei and Minako dragged in a table and some chairs, Ami forced Makoto to sit and tell her every detail of the hidden room. 

When she was done, Hotaru shook her head. "I don't get it. What do those clones have to do with Ganabile-san?" She flopped into a chair. "In fact, what do they have to do with anything?" 

Ami said, "We've never actually confirmed what Serenity looks like, or that she even existed until a few hours ago. Personally, I always felt that the Serenity many people mentioned was a mass-hallucination, created by the Senshi and maintained by their magic." 

Rei folded her hands. "Now, we know she really does exist. And, like I said earlier, she doesn't have a body of her own. She'd destroy it. But, she has to have audiences, otherwise she wouldn't have a throne. The clones are how she sits on it." 

Makoto picked up the thread. "The clones are like puppets. Serenity's the hand controlling them, but in the process she burns them up. That's why we found so many of those clones in the lab. Serenity picked one, Mercury finished the generation process, and Serenity'd do whatever she wanted until the body was a greasy smear on the floor." 

"Okay," Hotaru said. "I get all that. But, back to my first question: what the clones have to do with Ganabile-san?" 

Makoto said softly, "She's going to use Terri-chan like she uses those dolls." 

Into the stunned silence that followed, Ami whispered. "Impossible! She couldn't..." 

"No, she couldn't," Rei said firmly. "She'd kill Terri-chan if she tried that." 

"But, Terri-chan isn't a normal person-" 

Rei shook her head. "Doesn't matter. All that power inside of Serenity... I don't think there's _anything_ that could contain Serenity and remain undamaged." 

For the first time in the discussion, Minako spoke. "Rei-chan, what about the Silver Crystal?" 

Rei was startled, then puzzled. "Well, yes, the Crystal may have been able to hold her, but it was destroyed after the fight with Jedite." 

Minako felt a sick sourness begin to spread in her stomach. "Really? Are you absolutely sure of that? Because, I'm not. Seeing as how I was unconscious at the time, maybe one of you could confirm that the Crystal was actually destroyed." 

After exchanging glances with the others, Rei said, "Minako-chan, none of us found it. We just assumed-" 

Minako interrupted her. "We 'assumed' Jedite was dead. We 'assumed' Nehelenia wouldn't attack us again. We _'assumed'_ that our futures would end happily ever after." Minako slammed a fist on the table and stood. "Dammit, we assume to much!" 

Glaring at the others, she gave voice to the thought that had been plaguing her since seeing the clones. "Terri-chan's star seed is silver. _Silver!_ The only people with special star seeds are Senshi, planet Guardians, and Princesses. And since Terri-chan's none of those, the _only_ reason her star seed is different, the only reason Serenity would attempt to use her, would be if her star seed was somehow connected to the Silver Crystal!" She shook her head. "No, I should've realized it months ago when I first saw it. Terri-chan's star seed _is_ the Silver Crystal." 

The horror Minako felt reflected on her face, Ami said, "If that's true... then Serenity would be able to merge with Terri-chan. And if that happens-" 

"If that happens," Minako finished, "she'll destroy everything. And there won't be a damn thing we can do to stop her." 

* * *

Serenity roiled, barely able to contain Her excitement. "LEAVE US." Saturn bowed and left, closing the door behind Her. Serenity barely noticed the Senshi's exit, all of Her attention focused on the unconscious woman lying at the edge of Her pool. 

Carefully, Serenity examined her. With some disgust, She noticed that the girl had been damaged. Venus would have to pay for that, but later. 

Serenity reached out, brushing a finger of power across Terri's temples. Even at such a brief touch, the girl cried out in pain, forcing Serenity to withdraw. The woman was much more sensitive to magic than expected; Serenity would have to be extremely careful, or else risk killing Terri and losing both Crystal and body. 

Very well. Delicacy, it would be. Reigning in all but the barest fraction of Her power, Serenity reached out once more and touched Terri, feather-light. This time, Terri groaned, but did nothing else. 

With connection established, Serenity whispered into Terri, _Do you remember, child? Do you remember when we met, so many years ago?_> 

"Hot," Terri gasped. "So hot..." 

_Yes, child. The heat. Remember the heat. _

Remember the volcano.> 

* * *

Heat blasted along my face, shocking me awake. The lava spout burst upwards, sprayed the wall nearby, and came dangerously close to the ledge where Super Sailor Venus lay, unconscious. Jedite's initial attack had blown her and I clear across the pit. 

Standing, I shielded my eyes from the harsh light rising from below, and peered through smoke at the other side of chasm, searching for any sign of Jake or the Senshi. 

I found Mars and Jupiter easily enough, fighting back to back, a clear spot in the storm of youma Jake had summoned. I couldn't see Mercury, but the intermittent harp music told me she was somewhere, and still fighting. There was no sign of Jake. 

More lava bubbled up, and a section of Venus' ledge fell away. The lava must be eating away at the platform she was on. Every minute she stayed there she risked falling into the sea of molten rock below. I had to save her, before she fell in. I had to save- 

"No..." The ground canted sharply and I fell to my knees, gripping my head. Super Sailor Venus was Minako. Minako was my friend. I had to save- 

"No!" Jake hold told me to kill the Senshi. I had to, I wanted to, I _must_ kill the Senshi. But, Minako was a Senshi and I had to save- 

"NO!" I can't hurt my friends! I can't kill my friends! 

Minako was Venus. 

Venus was Minako. 

Kill Venus. 

Save Minako. 

I was going to be torn apart. "Jake! Help me!" 

"It's okay." The soft voice cut through the chaos within me. I looked up. "You're..." 

"It's okay." She knelt in front of me, her smile warm despite the dirt and blood and sweat on her face. Gently, she took my hands. "Everything's going to be all right now, Terri-chan." 

Oddly enough, I believed her. 

"YOU!" Jake shouted, and slammed into the two of us. Power blasted me away, to the edge of the lava pit. Wracked with pain, barely able to move, I watched in horror as Jake ripped the brooch off of her fuku. 

There was a terrible, blinding flash of light. 


	22. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
  
Chapter 22 - 

Kiyomi had it all: sun, surf, plenty of new friends. A nicely developing tan. Thanks to her near-constant swimming, she was in better shape than when she had skated. And, with help from Shouji, she was even beginning to get the knack of that sailing thing. 

Her life was finally beginning to return to some semblance of normality. She was peaceful. She was calm. She was happy. 

"Argh! Why the heck am I so bored?" she shouted at the sky. 

From the other end of the boat came a chuckle. 

Kiyomi sat up. "Are you laughing at me?" 

Shouji's teeth flashed bright white in the depths of his goatee. "Of course not." 

"Well, you should be," she said sulkily. She flopped onto her stomach, watching the sunset. "I'm bored and I'm worried about Terri. It's been over a week, you don't think she's in trouble, do you?" 

Shouji shrugged. "Don't know." 

"Whaddya mean you don't know? Why don't you know?" 

He shrugged again. "I'm not a superhero, Kiyomi. I don't have psychic powers." 

"Well, _I_ do!" Kiyomi shot to her feet, setting the boat to rocking and nearly pitching them both into the water. "I'm going to figure out what she's up to." She pressed her fingers to her temples and concentrated, humming loudly. 

Five minutes later, when the only thing Kiyomi had managed was to give herself a headache, she gave up and sat down with a frustrated sigh. "This sucks. I hate not knowing what's going on." She lifted her face to the sun and screamed. "I WANT TV!" 

Shouji wisely decided not to say a word. 

* * *

"Sailor Moon!" 

Eternal Sailor Moon collapsed, her fuku dissolving into countless pink ribbons that fluttered around her body. A second flash, fainter than the first, and she lay on the ground in the same street clothes she had been wearing earlier. 

Standing over her body, Jake stared at the brooch. He almost looked surprised at what he had done. 

I clambered to my feet. "Jake!" 

His head snapped up. He turned, barely deflected Jupiter's attack as she and Mars leaped onto the platform, death in their eyes. Jake formed a sword in his free hand, and, backing away, shrieked, "Terri! Stop them!" 

I acted without thought, trapping Jupiter in bands of black power. She fell, struggling and cursing. 

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" I spun, spotted Mercury behind me. I gestured sharply, and her attack swerved off course, towards Mars, who abandoned her Flame Sniper to dive out of the way. Jake's youma rose from the rock, grabbing them both and holding them immobile. 

Jake stopped cowering. Standing, regaining his usual composure, he sneered at the three Senshi. "Pathetic. So pathetic! How did I ever lose to you guys?" He laughed, giddily, and danced in place. "They all got killed, but I won! I beat the Senshi! I _beat_ the Sailor Senshi!" 

Mars shouted. "You haven't beaten us, Jedite." 

Jake froze in mid-caper. He turned. "Excuse me?" He brandished the brooch. "Have you forgotten that I've got the Silver Crystal? And that all of you are powerless? Huh?" 

"Not all of us," Jupiter said, looking at me. I must have gasped, because Jake looked at me as well. He sniggered. "Her? She's just a tool. She won't do anything unless I say so." 

"She isn't a tool," Mercury said. "She's a human being, and she can make her own decisions." 

I stared at Mercury, surprised. They were defending me. I had tried to kill them, and they were _defending_ me! 

Jake was laughing. "Human? _Human?_ She's no more human than those brainless youma holding you, and I fully intend to dispose of her once her job is finished." 

Mars was outraged. "You're gonna kill your own sister?! You sick son of a-" 

Jake lifted his hands. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry! Sheesh. I won't kill Terri, all right?" He turned towards me. "You hear that, Terri? I'm sorry." The sword became a spear and he sneered. "Sorry I ever used such a defective product!" And in a single smooth motion he flung the spear at me. 

With a wordless cry, I stumbled, tripped, and fell backwards. Threw my arms in a futile gesture. 

Felt blood hit me. 

Slowly, I opened my eyes, lowered my hands. And gasped. 

Face twisted in pain, she stood over me, the point of spear protruding just beneath her ribcage. "Tsukino-san!" I caught her as she collapsed to her knees. "Tsukino-san! Why?" 

She smiled at me. "Nobody can make you do anything... that you don't want to do." Her eyes closed briefly, then opened. "And I told you that... everything... would be... all... right." Horrified, I watched as she closed her eyes again- 

And didn't open them. 

She was still smiling. 

* * *

On the other side of the door, unaware of what was going on, Venus paced Serenity's elaborately furnished sitting room and fumed. Humiliating Herself was one thing, but being humiliated in front of an audience... 

She glared at the doors that led to Serenity's rooms, where Saturn stood, emotionless gaze following Venus' every movement. Saturn had actually _smiled_ when Serenity had thrown Her against the wall. As if She wanted Venus dead. Venus clenched Her hands. _What I would give to be able wipe that smile off Her face!_

"That is it," Venus said angrily, and stalked over to Saturn. "Let Me in. I want to know what is going on in there!" Saturn regarded Venus in silence, but it was Uranus that spoke. "Be patient, Venus. Queen Serenity will tell Us when She wants Us to know." 

"But, I want to know now," Venus retorted, turning to look at Uranus, who lay on a couch with Her head in Neptune's lap. The two partners shared a look, and Neptune murmured, "With an attitude like that-" 

"It is no wonder the Inners were defeated," Uranus finished. And They both smiled condescendingly at the now-livid Venus. Only Pluto's abrupt arrival stopped Venus from immediately attacking Them.

Pluto swept Her gaze across the room. "What is the Queen doing?" 

Neptune shrugged marginally. "We do not know. She would not tell Us." 

Pluto frowned at Saturn, who remained silent. Venus said, "Where is Jupiter?" 

"Dead," Pluto said, and Venus gasped. "Dead? How? The child is here, and-" A scream rent the air, followed by an explosion of power that knocked Venus to Her knees and rocked the entire room. It lasted barely more than a second, but to Venus it felt considerably longer. When it was over, She stood, bracing Herself on a wall, and saw Pluto doing the same. Uranus and Neptune were both on Their feet, looking around. Saturn, of course, hadn't moved a bit. 

Dust drifted from the ceiling onto Venus' head. She coughed. "What... What just happened?" 

"A sudden backlash of magic," Neptune said. She looked at Pluto. "So much power... Was it the girl?" Pluto nodded and Uranus said, "Should We check on the Queen?" 

Brushing off Her shoulders, Pluto said, "I do not know what Terri is capable of, but I can guess that the Queen is fine. Otherwise, We would have felt it." She looked at the others and a ghost of a smile appeared. "But, I do know this: Our Queen is succeeding in Her task." 

Venus looked at the doors, unconsciously biting Her lower lip. She didn't know why, but Pluto's words made Her very afraid. 

* * *

Jake was giggling. 

I couldn't look at him. All I could do was stare in a sort of horrified daze at the body I held, at the serene face of the woman that had been Tsukino Usagi, Eternal Sailor Moon. _Tsukino-san..._

The woman that had just died to save my life. Eternal no more.

Jake's laughter suddenly broke off. "Eh? What the heck's wrong with this-" He screamed in pain, and, jolted out of my stupor, I looked up. Jake's left hand, the hand holding the brooch, was on fire. White flames wreathed up his arm, fell to the ground like rain. And, even though I could smell it burning, his arm remained unconsumed.

Jake shook his hand furiously, trying to put out the fire, to drop the brooch, to do anything, but nothing happened. His hand remained fused to the brooch, and screams became shrieks of agony. Jake fell to his knees, pounding his fist into the rock.

Suddenly, Jupiter blocked my vision. She had to shout to be heard over Jake. "Ami-chan said the volcano's erupting! We've got to get out of here!" Carefully, she lifted Usagi's body from my arms. 

Still numb, I could only nod and watch as Jupiter stood. I rose, started to follow to where Mercury and Mars stood, Venus supported between them.

Jake grabbed my arm. Spun me around. Shrieked. "I won't be alone!" And slammed his burning fist straight into my chest.

There was a sickening crunch.

I don't remember screaming. All I remember was the excruciating pain as fire lanced through my veins. Jake's booming laugh. Mars' Flame Sniper.

And then all of it faded to nothing.

* * *

It was Saturn's movement that alerted Them. Without any warning, the Senshi of Silence moved, walking from Her position in front of the doors to where the others now stood. She faced the doors, bowed once, and again became as immobile as a statue.

The double doors opened.

Venus hastily dropped to one knee, with Uranus and Neptune following suit, but more leisurely. Standing behind all of Them, Pluto gripped Her staff tightly and wondered, not for the first time, if the path She had chosen was the correct path.

It was the power She felt first; the same unconstrained, churning storm of magic that always signified Serenity's presence. It was almost tangible, and as it filled the room Pluto held Her breath, doing nothing to draw its attention to Her. But, it was Terri that stepped out, arms folded in a posture of arrogance and sneering contempt. She surveyed the arrayed Senshi. "It is done." Serenity's voice came from the woman's mouth.

Venus jerked in surprise and looked up. "Highness?"

"Venus," Serenity said. Her voice, though soft, rumbled the walls of the room. She smiled sweetly. "I should thank You for Your role in bringing Me this marvelous body." Slightly sharper, "However… there is the little matter of why this body was injured."

For an instant, Venus crouched, looking very much like a trapped animal. Then, she stood. "Highness, I can explain-"

Serenity lifted a finger. "No need."

And the power constricted, focused on Venus. The startled Senshi screamed once, raggedly, as Her entire body spasmed, arched backwards. There was a sharp crack. And then She was gone.

Uranus and Neptune were standing. Both were pale, staring at the place Venus had been. Pluto held Her staff so tightly She threatened to snap it.

Serenity sighed in satisfaction. "I have wanted to do that for centuries." She let Her gaze roam across the remaining Senshi. "And, now that She is gone, I can tie up My other loose end." And She moved to stand in front of Pluto. "And, I believe that concerns You, Pluto." Her eyes narrowed. "Doesn't it?"

Pluto burst into motion, swinging the staff in a perfect two-handed arc straight at Serenity's head in a blow guaranteed to shatter bone.

Serenity arched an eyebrow. Pluto's body froze, paralyzed, and the Garnet Orb halted an inch from Serenity's face. The orb sprang to life, and a shower of red sparks fell between Them.

The others started forward. Serenity held up a hand to stop Them, and regarded Pluto through the rain of light. "You've been planning this for a very long time, haven't you, Pluto? Using both Descendants and Senshi in Your ingenious little plot to make Me commit to a permanent body, Terri's body, so You could kill Me." She smiled. "Now, why would You go through all that trouble? Power? Certainly not. Money is no longer a factor." She shook Her head. "I just cannot guess Your motive. Why don't You enlighten Me?"

Body trembling, Pluto hissed through gritted teeth. "You are not supposed to exist."

"I'm not?" Serenity said in mock-surprise. "Well, that is certainly odd, because, You see, the Senshi exist. So, why shouldn't I?" She gasped. "Oh, could it be that You think that I'm some sort of accident? An aberration created by the Silver Crystal and some few stray thoughts? Could that _possibly_ be it? Hm?" She laughed. "Well, I have a surprise for you, my dear Pluto." She leaned closer, past the Orb, and whispered in Pluto's ear. "Only a Queen can sire a Queen. Understand?"

Pluto's sudden, sharp inhalation told Serenity that Pluto did understand.

Serenity patted Pluto's cheek and pulled away. "Good girl." Stepping back, She released Pluto.

Pluto caught her aborted swing, stared wide-eyed at Serenity. Holding Her staff to Her chest, shaking from the raw fear surging through Her, She turned at the others, met Saturn's eyes.

Serenity folded Her arms. "Better run."

Pluto obeyed.

* * *

Uranus said, "Shall We pursue Her, Highness?"

Serenity stretched languorously. "There's no need to. I know where She is going." She faced Them. "Saturn."

Saturn bowed and vanished.

Neptune said, "What shall We do now, Highness?"

"Now?" Examining Herself, Serenity smiled. She said, "Now, the Sailor Wars have truly begun."

Legal Stuff: 

I don't own any of the Sailor Senshi. Er… the Descendants. Or is it the Avatars..? Whatever. I only own the original characters.   
  
This has been a production of Blueberry Enterprises.  
www.geocities.com/sailorfalcon/


	23. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
  
Chapter 23 - 

Hotaru sat in her own private silence, so shocked that she couldn't focus on the people talking in front of her. 

Minako leaned back in her chair. "Shut down that lab, Ami-chan, and clean the place out. Find out if there's any info on Serenity: strengths, weaknesses, what she eats for breakfast, whatever. We're going to need every scrap of it." Ami nodded and Minako shifted her gaze. "Rei-chan, back to the D-point. We're going to need Ami-chan's army to be even remotely effective, but, leave everybody else there. God knows they're probably safer there, now. I'm going to see if there's anything left of the CTDF that we can use. Maybe we can, I dunno, drop a hovercraft on Serenity or something."

Makoto said, "You don't honestly expect the CTDF to be useful, do you?"

"Of course not," Minako said. "But, it's worth a try."

Terri's star seed was the Silver Crystal. _The_ Silver Crystal. The object that had sent the souls of the Senshi into the 21st Century. The object responsible for bringing the Senshi back to life on at least one occasion. The artifact that numerous monsters, demons, youma, and a cross-dressing psycho had tried to get hold of so that they could control/destroy/re-make the universe.

"Mako-chan." Minako rubbed at her face, thinking, and eventually said. "Mako-chan, give Ami-chan a hand. See if anything else triggers something in your head. If so, find me and- Ah, dammit! I forgot about the Ku'dath. Hotaru."

The object that, if Minako was correct, was now in the possession of a very psychotic, soon-to-be corporeal entity. And, unfortunately, Minako had the tendency to be correct.

__

Oh, dear God…

"Hotaru!"

Hotaru jumped in her seat and focused on Minako. "Y-yeah?"

Minako frowned slightly, but said, "Hotaru, I need you to-" A briefly startled look flitted across Minako's face. She blinked twice, then, with a quiet groan, collapsed across the table.

Everyone was on their feet at once. Being closest, Hotaru reached her first, touching Minako's shoulder with her hand and sending her health-sense into Minako's body.

Too late, Rei shouted. "Don't touch her!"

Hotaru let loose a surprised bleat, and then everything dissolved into whirling chaos and confusion and golden pain. Something, a force, a _presence_, clawed against the walls of her mind, shoved its way through the cracks, overwhelming her in attempt to push her out into _emptiness_. She screamed, was unaware that she had done so, and clung desperately to her fading sense of self.

Red slashed. The presence howled furiously as it was dragged out of Hotaru, and it redoubled its efforts. But, Rei's will proved to be stronger and, inch by agonizing inch, the presence was pried up and flung out, leaving Hotaru blessedly alone in her head.

The cold touch of the floor brought her back to full awareness. She opened her eyes, let her vision swim back into focus. She was lying on the floor on her back. Rei crouched over her, and she smiled when she saw that Hotaru was conscious. "How do you feel?"

Hotaru grunted. There was a sour taste in her mouth. "Like someone just ran me over with a truck. Repeatedly." She tried to sit up, and thought better of it. "What happened to me?"

"You just came dangerously close to becoming Venus' host body." Minako's head appeared upside-down above Hotaru, a serious expression on her face. "Lucky for you, we've got the world's greatest psychic in the form of Rei-chan."

Rei said, "When you touched Minako-chan with your talent, Venus leap-frogged from her to you. Since you weren't the right vessel, she was able to force her way into your mind. She almost managed to take you over, too, but, like Minako-chan said, I'm considerably stronger than Venus was."

"Was?"

"Was." Minako's smile was humorless. "Serenity has succeeded. Apparently, we have less time than I originally thought."

* * *

The sun had vanished beneath the horizon an hour ago, and the sky to the west was still tinged a deep purple. The moon had risen early; it sat high up in the east, full and bloated, painting the sea below with a silver patina that highlighted the crest of each wave.

Out in the sea of silver a single boat floated, its main sail furled. Barefooted, standing at the place where sea met sand, Michiru watched it and sighed wistfully. "It must be wonderful to be so young and full of energy…"

Hands touched her shoulder. "I seem to recall a certain someone mentioning the benefits of being an adult back when she was their age." There was laughter in Haruka's voice.

Michiru leaned into the comforting circle of Haruka's arms and smiled. "I was never _that_ young."

"You were never that inexperienced."

"I was just as experienced then as I am now."

Haruka's voice was a soft purr in her ear. "So, you've learned _nothing_ new in all these years?"

Michiru disengaged herself to turn around. She smiled. "Oh, I think I've learned a few new things."

"Really?" They were so close together that strands of their hair mingled together. Haruka matched Michiru's smile with one of her own. "Care to show me?"

"If you want me to," Michiru breathed.

A scream shattered the night. 

Michiru stiffened. Haruka muttered a curse as they broke apart and simultaneously turned towards the village. Michiru tilted her head, listened intently. "It sounds like a fight is going on."

"Good." Haruka growled. "Then they won't mind when I join them."

Before Haruka had taken two steps, a fireball erupted somewhere near the center of the village. More screams rose into the night. And then a second explosion appeared. And a third. A chain of explosions raced towards the beach, towards them. 

* * *

"Did you hear that?"

Kiyomi glanced away from the stars, towards Shouji. "Did I hear what?"

Legs firmly panted on the deck, arms folded across his chest, Shouji gazed out at the beach. "I heard a scream."

"I didn't hear anything."

Shouji cocked his head to one side. "There's another scream… Something's wrong."

Kiyomi rolled her eyes. "Just because you hear shouts doesn't mean something's wrong." She sat up. "For all we know, somebody's probably throwing a party."

A fireball turned the sky a ruddy orange. Kiyomi shot to her feet. Shouji looked over his shoulder at her. "One hell of a party."

"Shut up," she growled. "What now?"

"You told me to shut up, remember?"

"Shouji!"

Shouji smiled. "We help them." And in a single fluid motion he dove over the rail and into the water. A moment later he surfaced, treading water. He shouted up at her, "Besides, the swim'll do you good. You could stand to lose some weight!" He waved and struck out for the shore.

Hands on her hips, Kiyomi shouted to his back. "You better hope I don't catch up to you!" 

* * *

The ground several meters away suddenly erupted upwards, covering her and Haruka with sand and grass. Coughing, trying to see, Michiru caught a glimpse of light streaking towards her and she dove to her right, tucking herself into a roll as something hissed past just behind her. The light detonated where she had been. The shockwave flung her further down the beach. She rolled to a stop, hissing in pain from the half-dozen bruises she had gathered during her short flight.

The crack of stave on stave drew her attention. She looked up, towards the source, and stared in surprise and confusion.

Pluto and Saturn fought near the edge of the water, respective weapons blurs in their hands. Pluto attacked with a fury that bordered on desperation, but, although Saturn was slowly being forced backwards, the Senshi of Death remained calm as ice, parrying each swing with casual grace.

Michiru stared in open shock, not quite able to register what she was seeing. Senshi never fought each other. Not since Galaxia had taken the Sailor Wars to Earth. What would make them fight now?

Saturn abruptly shifted to offense and, in a move to fast for Michiru to follow, sent Pluto sprawling to the sand. Instead of finishing her, Saturn circled the fallen Senshi, glaive poised, ready to strike. Pluto glared up at her. "I thought toying with your victims was beneath you, Saturn."

"I am merely trying to understand you," Saturn said calmly. "This sudden desire to insure your death is not normally like you, and your urge to kill Serenity puzzles me. You are not usually so… impulsive."

"There is much about me you do not know," Pluto said. Rising to her knees, she swept her staff at Saturn. Saturn blocked the clumsy blow. "True. A pity you will die before I learn all of your secrets." Reversing her glaive, she brought the blade down towards Pluto's neck.

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!"

Pluto rolled clear as the two attacks exploded against Saturn, throwing a large cloud of sand. Holding her side, Pluto got to her feet and said to Michiru, "Thanks. I wasn't certain that you would interfere."

"Don't thank us," Haruka said, appearing by Michiru's side. "You're next."

Incredibly, Pluto rolled her eyes. "Please, Haruka, I've had a long and tiring century. I've got Saturn trying to kill me, I just failed at assassinating Serenity, who is now in Terri's body, by the way, _and_ I've just accidentally blown up my house. I _don't_ need you threatening me. Not now, not tonight."

It felt like Michiru's eyebrows were trying to climb off of her forehead. "_Setsuna?!_"

Pluto sketched a slight bow. "One and the same."

Haruka blinked. "Oh. My. God."

__

That pretty much sums things up. Michiru thought dazedly. She said, "You lied."

Pluto- Setsuna!- smiled slightly. "If we somehow survive the night, I will readily apologize."

Saturn said, "None of you will survive that long." Stepping out of the settling dust, Saturn dropped to one knee, driving her glaive blade-first into the sand. The sand around her rippled, surged outwards towards Michiru and the others.

And Michiru dropped to her hands and knees as a vise clamped onto her lungs and heart. Fighting stubbornly to keep conscious, she dug her hands into the sand, forcing her eyes to remain focused.

Saturn crossed the sand to Pluto, who clung to her staff to stay upright. She prodded Pluto with her glaive, watching in bemusement as blood welled. Her smile created ice in Michiru's veins. "_Now_, I shall toy with you." And the stave blurred, slicing into Pluto's body. Pluto screamed.

Helpless to do anything but watch, Michiru screamed with her.

* * *

Forced to run full out to keep up with Shouji, Kiyomi panted. "Why… are we… doing this… again?"

"Because they need our help." Shouji cantered along easily, barely breathing hard despite the pace he pushed and the swim from earlier.

Kiyomi caught his arm and tried to stop him, and almost had her arm yanked out in the process. "Shouji!" He slowed slightly, dropping to a fast walk. Kiyomi jogged alongside him. "Shouji, think about what you're saying. Those aren't just any women we saw out there. Those were Senshi. _Senshi_, Shouji! They can kill us before we even realize we're dead. It's suicide to even think we can fight them."

"They need our help," Shouji said.

Kiyomi stopped, and smacked her forehead. "Of course! Why didn't I see it earlier? Everything is so absolutely clear now! They need us!" She caught up with Shouji. "Why didn't you just paint a huge target on our shirts so they could find us faster?"

Shouji smiled. "I couldn't find any paint."

"I really hate you, sometimes."

* * *

Pluto collapsed with a thud. The sand beneath her was soaked with blood, and her fuku was crimson. Circling her, admiring Her work, Saturn considered where to place the next cut. She gave Pluto an experimental prod with the Glaive, but evoked no response. Saturn sighed internally. Already unconscious.

Movement out of the corner of Her eyes attracted Her attention. She looked up from Her study of Pluto towards the two Descendants. Michiru was still struggling on her hands and knees, while Haruka had actually managed to rise to one leg. Both of them clearly had murder on their minds.

Saturn regarded them both in silence, appreciating their tenacity if not the people themselves. If Her fellow Senshi had half the integrity that these two possessed, Saturn wouldn't be trying to kill Them, now.

Oh, well. A job's a job.

She flicked a finger towards the duo, and they both fell to the sand; dead or unconscious, Saturn neither knew nor cared. Restraining Her usage of Her power was not something She did regularly.

She turned back to Pluto. Time to finish this.

Something heavy and hard struck Her from behind. A weight bore to Her the ground. One arm was twisted behind Her back and She lost Her grip on Her glaive. Someone grunted, "Don't move."

Saturn turned Her head far enough to see a man crouched over Her. Her eyes narrowed. "You are hurting Me." She didn't so much throw the human off of Her as fling him away. She stood, idly dusted Herself off, spotted the man charging Her, and gestured sharply, neatly severing his life thread. Saturn sidestepped as he staggered and plunged to the sand before Her.

"Shouji!" Saturn turned towards the source of the scream. She spotted the man's companion scrambling away, Saturn's glaive clutched in her hands. Saturn faced her. "Return the glaive," She said quietly.

The girl froze, caught between the Command and Saturn's direct gaze. Saturn walked towards her. "Return My glaive. Now."

"Kiyomi… run…" The voice, barely heard, belonged to Haruka. The Descendant was actually trying to get up.

Saturn ignored her, keeping Her attention focused on the girl, Kiyomi. The distance between them had shrunk to a few meters. Saturn held out Her hand. "_Now_."

Trembling with the desire to flee, Kiyomi managed one, two steps backwards before her legs gave out. She fell on her butt, the glaive crossed in front of her. Saturn smiled slowly. "Good girl."

"_SATURN._" The voice boomed inside of Her head. Saturn's eyebrow twitched, the only sign of Her surprise and slight pain. "Highness?"

"_RETURN AT ONCE._"

Saturn glanced about the devastated beach. "I have yet to complete My task-"

"_YOU HAVE HAD YOUR PLAYTIME, SATURN. NOW IT IS TIME TO BEGIN OUR REAL WORK._"

The real work… "Yes… At once, Highness." Pausing only long enough to retrieve Her glaive from the unresisting human's grasp, Saturn sketched a faint, mocking bow towards Pluto and left to rejoin Her Queen.

* * *

Setsuna groaned, inhaled sharply, and immediately regretted it as she choked on sand. Squeezing her eyes shut, she forced her body to relax and tried to take stock of her numerous injuries. No bones seemed to be broken, which was always a good thing. However all of her pains kept blurring together into one big pain, which kept her from discovering the full extent of the damage Saturn had done. The one thing she was sure of was that it felt like a ten kilo cat was sitting on her back, preventing her from breathing in.

Pushing herself into an upright position was almost an exercise in futility in itself, but she managed somehow.

"Shouji? Shouji, c'mon, wake up."

Wrapping one arm around her chest, Setsuna got to her feet, swaying dangerously. She turned around slowly.

Shouji was stretched out on his back, his head cradled in Kiyomi's lap. He wasn't breathing. Haruka and Michiru stood nearby, each supporting the other. Michiru's eyes were full of sympathy. Haruka's expression was completely neutral.

Kiyomi said softly, "This isn't funny, Shouji. You're scaring me."

"Kiyomi," Michiru began.

Kiyomi's head snapped up at the sound of Michiru's voice. "He's going to be all right, right? He's just, y'know, sleeping, right?" Her voice took on a slightly hysterical pitch. "Right?"

Michiru looked away.

Kiyomi stared at her for a moment, then dropped her head. "I see." Her hair fell forward, obscuring her face. "You'll kill her, won't you?"

"Yes." The word sliced the air. Haruka met Setsuna's eyes, then deliberately looked towards the distant fires of the village, fires created during Setsuna's fight with Saturn. Haruka's gaze hardened. "Yes, we will."

Legal Stuff: 

I don't own any of the Sailor Senshi. Er… the Descendants. Or is it the Avatars..? Whatever. I only own the original characters.   
  
This has been a production of Blueberry Enterprises.  
www.geocities.com/sailorfalcon/


	24. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
  
Chapter 24 – 

Setsuna backed into the wall, one hand wiping off the blood that was running down her chin. She eyed her opponent carefully. "Don't do that again."

"I'll do worse to you," Haruka growled. Fists clenched, she started towards Setsuna, but Michiru moved in front of her. "Haruka, stop it!"

"_She_ started it," Haruka said, glaring at Setsuna. And coming from her, the accusation didn't sound the least bit childish.

"Yes, I started it," Setsuna said. She straightened. "And I plan to finish it."

"By getting us killed?!"

"I'm the least of your troubles. Serenity is-"

"Serenity?" She barked a laugh. "Serenity hasn't show up yet, but you have." She threw her arms wide. "And look at what you've done!"

The house they stood in had been completely burned, as had just about every building in the area. Only the wall Setsuna stood against was what remained. Spawned by magic, the fires created by her battle with Saturn had resisted every attempt to be put out, spreading uncontrollably for several hours. Many people had died in the initial assault, many more while trying to stop the flames.

By the time it had started raining, it had already been too late.

Setsuna deliberately looked around before meeting Haruka's angry eyes. Calmly, "I did not want this to happen."

"Then change it. Go back in time and change it. Go fight Saturn elsewhere, elsewhen, and leave us out of it."

"No. I did what was necessary."

"You call killing people 'necessary?'"

"I'm an Outer Senshi." Setsuna's gaze and voice hardened. "It's how I fight." And she watched them both flinch, if only slightly. Setsuna softened her tone. "What happened was unfortunate and I apologize, but this _is_ a war, a war which we cannot afford to lose.

"I came here because I needed your help. And not just me, but the Inners as well. This is not the time for the eight of us to be divided."

Haruka and Michiru looked at each other. Michiru said, "Hotaru." Haruka nodded, and Setsuna silently exhaled. The hard part was over.

Haruka pinned Setsuna with a look. "I don't trust you."

Setsuna smiled coolly. _You never did_. "I'm glad we understand each other."

* * *

Mae walked into the laboratory, quietly shutting the door behind her. She crossed the room, careful to avoid the piles of debris, and approached the table where her mentor sat, working on a computer. "Doctor Mizuno?" Too deep into her work, Ami gave a distracted grunt, which was entirely normal for her.

Mae moved closer, till she was standing next to her. She tried again, slightly louder. "Doctor Mizuno? Ma'am?"

"Hm?"

"I brought you the coffee you asked for. Be careful, it's still hot." She set the cup on the table, well away from the doctor's hands. She stepped back. "Was there anything else you needed?" Ami muttered something, which Mae took as a no. She backed further away, and looked around, noting the overturned tables and broken glass. Had some kind of fight happened here?

A hole in one of the nearer walls had been boarded up, hastily boarded judging by the gaps in the planks. She sidled closer to the hole and squinted, trying to see what lay in the darkness beyond. Something glinted. Glass, maybe?

"How long have you been my aide, Mae?"

She jumped and turned. "What?" Her voice cracked. Blushing, she forced her voice back into its normal range. "What was that, Doctor?"

Ami leaned back in her chair and smiled. "Four years, is it? I don't think I've ever done anything to show my appreciation for you."

"Oh, just working for you is its own reward, Doctor Mizuno. I mean I've always thought you were cool, even when I was a little girl. I had a doll." Gods, she was babbling! She clamped her mouth shut and looked away, embarrassed.

"You had a Sailor Mercury doll?" She sneaked a glance, and saw that the doctor was still smiling. Mae returned it slowly and nodded.

"I'm flattered. I truly am. I didn't think we still had fans."

"Oh, you do. And we're all glad we can help you and the others."

Ami's smile faded. "Even if it might cost you your life?"

Mae sobered. She said, "I knew what the risks were when I agreed to work for you." She shrugged. "Besides, the alternative was to go back to the Crystal Tokyo and let the Senshi try to Re-educate me again, and I had had enough of that the first time through. I owe all of you for taking me away from that Hell."

Ami stared at her. "Thank you."

Mae blushed again.

Ami smiled, then cleared her throat. "Well, since you're here… why don't you give me a hand? I could use the help."

"Yes, ma'am. Of course!"

Laughing at Mae's zeal, Ami took a sip of her coffee and immediately spit it out. "Gods, that's hot!"

* * *

Made entirely of black metal, the hovercraft rested on its side on the floor of the hanger. It vaguely resembled a bird, with an oval shape for the body, a head for the cockpit, and one wing slightly curved, where the missiles were usually housed. The other wing was gone, shorn off by some sort of attack. The thing was large, roughly the same length of the old, 20th Century F-14s, but almost twice the width.

The floor of the hanger lay scattered with wreckage from an immense battle. Even here, in the CTDF headquarters a short distance from the Palace, Pluto's forces had been at work. The CTDF was no more.

Rei sighed. _What a mess._

Makoto sat on top of the hovercraft, with her back to the remaining wing. "This is stupid."

"I know," Rei said. She kicked the belly of the hovercraft hard enough to dent the metal, setting off resounding echoes through the hanger bay. "Every single one of these stupid things are wrecked."

"Actually, I was referring to my five o' clock shadow." She glared over her shoulder at the group of Ku'dath a short distance away, hunkered down on various piles of metal. "If he gets any closer, I'm going to have my own tail."

Rei smiled up at her. "Don't forget, you're married to that shadow."

"Don't remind me." She looked down at Rei. "So, now what? Do we let Minako-chan know that, once again, her brilliant plan's gonna fall apart before it started?"

"Well…" Rei flipped herself onto the side of the hovercraft, where Makoto was, and studied a gap in the metal. Crouching, she ran her fingers along the exposed wires. "We might be able to get it working again."

"And what good will that do? It's not like we can use the damn thing in an actual fight."

"Who knows? We might be able to."

Makoto stared at her. "Hello? Anybody home? This is Serenity, Rei, not some low-magic flunky that's easily scared by some flashy stances and a speech. Trying to use one of these piles of slag against her is like trying to defeat a giant by hurling mosquitoes at it. It won't work."

"I know that."

"Then why the hell are we sitting here wasting our time? We should be doing something more important. Something _useful_."

Rei whirled on Makoto. "Like _what_, Mako-chan? Like you said, this is Serenity. What do you think we're supposed to do? Walk up to her and go 'Oh, please don't destroy the world?!' Tell me what'll stop her and I'll do it!"

They glared at each other. Makoto broke eye contact first, scowling at the Ku'dath. "I hate feeling useless."

__

Oh, Mako-chan… "So, do I."

"Well, if you want to do something useful, I'm feeling kinda hungry. You could fix me something to eat."

Makoto rolled her eyes and Rei smiled. She leaned over to look down at the floor. "What do you want, Hotaru?"

"I told you, I'm hungry."

Rei folded her arms. "Don't make me come down there."

"All right already. I'm here to borrow Mako-chan's boy toy and the rest of his crew for a little light work back at the Palace." She glared. "Are you happy?"

"Now that you've told the truth, sure." Rei stood and faced the Ku'dath. _Stormcatcher?_

One of the Ku'dath separated himself from the others. _Yes, Firereader?_

_Hotaru needs a few of you to help her with stuff. And, don't call me that!_

Stormcatcher's mental voice was tinged with amusement. _Darkside, Skyfire, Sunrise, Sunset and myself shall accompany her._ He bowed mockingly and turned away, but not before Rei heard him add. _And Trackless _will_ keep an eye on my wife!_ The demi-humans Stormcatcher had named abandoned their perches, swarming closer to Hotaru, who regarded them with interest.

Makoto growled. "Maybe if I beat the crap out of him…"

"You'll only make him more determined to win you over."

"I don't believe this." Makoto pinned Rei with a glare. "You're _enjoying_ this!"

"Hey, so long as he doesn't look like your-" The room lurched and Rei staggered, clutching her head. Makoto and the others were shouting, but Rei barely heard them. _So much malevolent energy. It couldn't be?!_ That burst of power had come from the Palace!

Makoto caught her before she fell off the hovercraft. "Rei-chan? What's wrong?"

Rei struggled out of Makoto's grasp. _Stormcatcher! The Palace! Find Minako-chan and Ami-chan, and warn them!_ Thankfully, the Ku'dath obeyed immediately, Stormcatcher easily picking the protesting Hotaru up and the group sprinted for the hanger doors.

Makoto grabbed her arm. "Rei-chan, what the hell is-"

"Shh!" Rei spun, looking around, staring intently and wishing the hanger was just a bit brighter. "I think-" Rei tensed, saw Makoto stiffen in alarm.

They both moved at the same time, vaulting off the hovercraft and leaping away to opposite sides of the hanger. Behind Rei, the hovercraft exploded, throwing her forewards. She rolled, gained her feet facing the way she had come.

Neptune stepped out of the flaming wreckage, idly dusting her fuku off. The Senshi looked behind her. "The other one is escaping."

"It does not matter." Uranus' voice came from beyond the wreckage, on the side where Makoto was. "These are the two We were sent after. We shall deal with them, first, and then with the other."

Neptune nodded. She smiled at Rei, and it wasn't pleasant. "This should prove interesting."

* * *

The throne must have cost a fortune: gems and gold and marble and some stuff Minako couldn't name, but was nonetheless expensive. It must have been a pain to keep clean. It looked uncomfortable. It virtually screamed "I belong to the most powerful being in the universe and I know it!"

Minako ran a hand along the back of the chair. She circled it, studying it, and finally flopped into it. She chuckled. "Serenity must've had some serious self-esteem problems."

"You should not talk about other people in such a manner, Aino Minako." Minako twisted, started to stand, and a fist of air was driven into her stomach. She doubled over in the throne, wheezing. A hand forced her chin up. Grey eyes met blue. Terri smiled. "Hello, Minako." But, it wasn't her voice.

"Serenity."

"_Queen_ Serenity. You must not forget the title." Terri's eyes were flat and empty. Glassy. A doll's eyes. 

"I gotta couple other things I could call you. Highness."

The blow caught her off-guard, snapping her head to one side. Lights exploded behind Minako's eyes. She slumped over, ears ringing. Serenity's voice came from a distance. "You wish to throw your life away? Very well. Saturn, kill her."

Minako jerked to her right, threw herself onto the floor as the Glaive cleaved the throne in half. She rolled to her feet, moved into a fighting stance. "Crescent Beam!" Saturn gestured and the laser simply vanished. Minako stumbled back. _What the-?!_

Terri appeared behind Saturn. She smirked. "Did you think it would be that easy, Minako?"

Saturn leveled her Glaive at Minako. "A battle is pointless. Submit and die."

Minako grinned. "I'm not the submissive type." Shouting, she launched herself at Saturn. 

Saturn swung at her. Minako ducked, kicked Saturn in the abdomen. The Senshi staggered. Rising, Minako punched her in the face. A roundhouse to the head sent Saturn sprawling to the ground. Minako leaped back. "Love and Beauty Shock!" The floor around Saturn exploded in a ball of golden light.

Minako landed in a crouch, breathing hard. Maybe if she was lucky, that had stopped Saturn. _Yeah, and while I'm dreaming-_

She heard applause. She stood and turned. Serenity said, "You are good, Minako." She lifted a hand. Streaks of black energy snaked down Terri's arm, gathering at her palm. "But not good enough." The blast hit Minako hard, flinging her backwards. She struck a wall, bounced off of it, and fell to the floor.

She gasped, choked, tasted blood. Something must've torn inside her. She tried to get to her feet, but only got as far as her knees. "Terri-chan…"

Terri walked towards her. "Hmph. Look at you: struck once and you are ready to die. The powers of Venus were wasted on a weak vessel like you. When I remake the Senshi, I will make sure that yours is a soul that is never chosen… even if it means burning your soul out of Time's memory altogether." She brought her hands together and a ball of energy, black light streaked with gold, started to form.

Minako braced herself. One chance…Terri was close enough; there was no way Minako could miss. But- _No choice. Gotta take it._

"How ironic. I will kill you with the same attack my father first used against you." Terri lifted her hands, and the ball, over her head. "Die!"

Minako moved. "Crescent Beam!"

* * *

Minako jabbed me in the ribs with the broom. I yelped painfully. "What'd you do that for?"

"You left yourself open." Minako lowered the broom. She grinned. "Don't raise your arms over your head in a swordfight. Against a professional, it's an invitation to stab you in your chest."

I glared at her while I propped my own broom against the side of the building. "Okay, first of all, why would I be in a real sword fight to begin with?"

"You never know what life'll throw at ya. If it just so happens to be a swordfight, I wanna make sure you can win."

"Yeah, right, like that'll ever happen." Minako grinned and I sighed. "Okay, fine, I'll never leave myself open like that again. Does that make you happy?"

"Of course it does. What's the second thing?"

"What?"

"You said 'first of all.' What's the 'second of all?'"

"Oh, right. How do you know so much about swordfighting? Did you take classes or something?"

Rei was giving us angry glares. Minako waved at her, and together we went back to sweeping up the leaves. It was a couple of minutes before Minako answered. "I was a soldier in a past life. Had a longsword. It was made out of stone."

I stared at her while she continued to sweep. "You're kidding, right?"

Minako finished our pile and paused to look around, studying the shrine grounds. "Looks like Rei-chan got the fire going. We better go claim our potatoes before Usagi-chan eats 'em all."

"You're dodging the question."

Minako hefted the broom. She seemed to be considering it. Finally, she said, "Yes. I am kidding." She glanced at me. "You didn't think I was serious, did you?" At my expression her eyes widened. "You did?!"

"You witch!" I lifted my broom- "Ow!"

Minako smirked. "Didn't I just tell you not to do that?"

* * *

"Minako! Uranus and Neptune are-" Hotaru burst into the throne room and stumbled to a halt at the scene before her.

The chamber was in shambles; the throne had been destroyed, several sections of the wall had simply collapsed. The floor was marked with huge holes. Dust was everywhere, obscuring Hotaru's vision. It looked like somebody had torn the place apart, but where were the combatants?

Stormcatcher growled.

Hotaru turned, saw a figure limping towards her. When the figure resolved itself into a badly injured Minako, Hotaru ran forward, catching the other woman just as started to fall. "Minako!" Carefully, she eased Minako to the floor and silently cursed herself when she realized she couldn't do anything about Minako's worst injuries.

Minako whispered. "Hotaru… run… the Crystal…"

"Shut up," Hotaru said. "You're in bad enough shape as it is." To Stormcatcher, "I need water. Hot water. And some bandages." Minako was an experienced fighter, as good as Rei, if not as strong. Even if caught by surprise, Uranus and Neptune shouldn't have been able to do this much damage to her.

Minako's hand clamped onto Hotaru's. "_Listen_…" Minako's eyes focused intently on Hotaru's.

Hotaru stared at Minako, startled by the fear evident in the other woman's eyes. Hotaru looked away, and noticed that none of the Ku'dath had left. None of them were paying attention to the two women.

"_Listen to them!_"

Stormcatcher was growling. Darkside was growling. They were all growling.

"I hit her… point blank… nothing happened!" Minako's hand slipped. She was losing consciousness. "Run…"

As one, the five Ku'dath lunged into the dust, vanishing from sight.

In the settling dust a light bloomed, bright white and terrible. The Silver Crystal. Shouts quickly turned to howls of pain.

"…run…Hotaru…"

Serenity started to laugh.

Legal Stuff: 

I don't own any of the Sailor Senshi. Er… the Descendants. Or is it the Avatars..? Whatever. I only own the original characters.   
  
This has been a production of Blueberry Enterprises.  
www.geocities.com/sailorfalcon/


	25. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
  
Chapter 25 – 

It was impossible.

Blow for blow, kick for kick, Uranus matched Makoto, steadily forcing the Avatar further and further away from Rei and Neptune. Makoto's breathing was ragged. She was having trouble focusing her eyes. Although Uranus probably hadn't picked up on it yet, Makoto's right arm, the one she used the most, was beginning to tire. Her stab wound, only partially sealed by Hotaru, was beginning to burn; a hasty glance had shown her that the front of her shirt was slowly turning red.

__

I can't win.

She leaped away from Uranus. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" At the start of the battle, she had tried an Oak Evolution, and had almost blacked out from the pain. Each successive Sparkling Wide Pressure was harder to use than the last. Her own attacks were killing her.

Uranus batted the attack away and walked steadily towards her. After their initial dialogue, the Senshi hadn't spoken. It was unsettling, fighting a foe that didn't show pain or anger. Who didn't slow down. Who didn't get tired. And who's only goal was to see you dead, no matter how long it took.

Maybe, if Makoto had been at one hundred percent, maybe she would have had a chance.

__

I'm going to die.

She backed away, wondering if she still had the strength for another Sparkling Wide Pressure or if she should switch to the Supreme Thunder, when her foot snagged a piece of metal. She tripped.

Uranus leaped into the air. Drew the Space Sword.

Makoto closed her eyes. This was it.

Arms scooped her up, and she was flying. Startled, Makoto opened her eyes. "Trackless?"

Amber eyes smiled at her. "I watch you." They landed on an over-turned hovercraft, and Trackless set her down. "You stay. We fight now." He pointed. A group of Ku'dath had surrounded Uranus. 

Uranus turned, found Makoto and smiled. "They are foolish, these creatures. So quick to throw away their lives." She pointed the Space Sword at Makoto. "I will kill them all before I deal with you."

Trackless stiffened and snarled an order. Three of the Ku'dath leaped at Uranus.

Makoto grabbed Trackless' arm. "You idiot! You can't fight a Senshi!"

Uranus smirked. The Sword flashed and two of the three fell to the ground, beheaded. The third she caught by the throat with her free hand, crushed his windpipe, and tossed him to the ground. She regarded the remaining Ku'dath with open disdain. With a furious howl, the rest of the group lunged at her.

Makoto whirled on Trackless. "Tell them to retreat!" Beneath her hands, Trackless was as rigid as stone. His eyes flicked back and forth, watching the carnage below. "Trackless!" He ignored her.

A body slammed into the hovercraft with enough force to rock the entire vehicle. Trackless' paralysis snapped. Roaring, he leaped into the fray.

Uranus turned towards the new threat. Ignoring the Sword, Trackless charged her. At the last possible moment he ducked, went under Uranus' swing, and tackled her to the floor. He leaped up immediately. Grabbed Uranus by the arm and spun, hurling her off the ground and into the air. The Senshi crashed into a pile of wreckage.

Panting, ears laid back flat on his skull, Trackless glared in the direction he had thrown Uranus. Eventually, he relaxed, and, surprisingly, grinned at Makoto. "See? You safe now."

The Space Sword erupted from his chest. He looked at it, surprised, then collapsed to the floor.

"_No!_" Makoto screamed.

Uranus tugged the Sword free. She sneered at Makoto. "I told you I would kill them."

"You…" Flecks of electricity gathered around Makoto's fists, slowly becoming a storm that surrounded her body. She closed her eyes. _Trackless… _The storm escalated, became a hurricane of power with her at the center, calm, collected, and utterly untouched. Her fatigue was gone; she knew if she checked that her wound would be gone as well.

Uranus said, "You are a pathetic human. You are too weak to pose a threat to Me."

"Uranus!" She didn't feel the actual transformation. One moment she was herself- "Killing those whose only crime was to obey an order is an act of violence that I cannot forgive!" –and the next she wasn't herself. No, she was more than herself.

Super Sailor Jupiter opened her eyes, glared down at the startled Senshi. "I'll punish you in my own name, the name of Jupiter!"

She was whole.

* * *

A hammer of water smashed into Rei, hurling her back against a wall hard enough to crack the thick cement. The pressure vanished and she stumbled forward and fell to her knees.

Neptune walked towards her, still unscathed. As strong as Rei was, she hadn't been able to touch the Senshi. Every one of her attacks had simply been absorbed in a wall of water. "You are obviously inferior to Me. Why do you not simply give up and die?"

"And give you the pleasure of killing me off?" Rei stood. "I don't think so."

"So arrogant." Neptune's hand lifted and the waterspout knocked Rei back, through the wall and onto the street beyond. She landed on pavement, on her stomach, in a pool of water. Coughing, she tried to get up.

Neptune kicked her in the side, flipping her over. "I am disappointed, Rei. I expected you, at least, to be some sort of challenge." A hand closed around her throat and she was lifted into the air. "Instead, you have proven yourself to be disgustingly mortal."

Rei managed a smile. "I'm still more of a Senshi than you'll ever be."

Neptune's eyes narrowed. She tightened Her grip.

"Look! It's Lady Neptune!" Neptune turned as people crowded around Her, babbling in awe or surprise or both. Rei seized on the distraction, kicking Neptune in the stomach. The startled Senshi's grip loosened, and Rei dropped to the ground, scrambling away.

Somebody helped her up. "Are you okay?" Rei ignored the man, looking behind her.

Neptune laughed. "Now, Hino Rei, I shall show you how pathetic you truly are." A hand was flung out towards Rei.

Rei stared. She wouldn't-

"DIE!" The ground quaked as water exploded upwards. People screamed as the blast hurled them aside. Rei had barely enough time to shove away the man that had helped her before the wave crashed down, sweeping them off their feet. The torrent carried Rei backwards into a streetlamp, pinning her against the metal. Pain exploded through her body.

The force of the water slackened, drained away, and she fell to the pavement, wheezing. Neptune grabbed her hair and jerked her head up. "How does it feel to be so utterly worthless, Hino Rei? To know that you can do nothing, _nothing_, to save these people?"

Rei spat in Neptune's face.

Neptune wiped the spittle off casually. "Stubborn as a brick…" She dropped Rei and stood, facing what remained of the crowd. "I see I will have to continue the lesson." She spread Her hands. The ground rumbled ominously.

"…no…" Rei tried to stand, failed. "No…" Neptune's laughter sparked a flame in Rei's soul. Rage filled her, hotter than anything she had ever known in her life. "_No!_" Fire burst into existence around her, burning away her sodden clothing, melting her pain. 

Neptune turned, surprised. "What-"

Rei stood. Hands clenched into fists, she let the transformation wash over her. She said, "Killing people that revere you? How _dare_ you call yourself a Senshi!" In the back of Rei's mind, she heard thunder echo, and she smiled grimly. She formed the Flame Sniper and lifted it.

"For the sake of my name, the name of Mars, I'll show you how a _true_ Senshi fights!"

* * *

Glass cracked.

Leaning on the back of Mae's chair, Ami tensed. Without moving her head, she slid her gaze to the boarded-up gap in the laboratory wall. Odd…Her imagination usually didn't include sound effects. _Well,_ she thought with a faint blush, _not any sound effects that involve breaking glass._

"Doctor Mizuno?" Mae was staring up at her.

Ami brought her attention back to the monitor, and Mae. "I'm sorry, Mae, I wasn't listening. What were you saying?" 

Mae had taken over working at the computer console. She gestured to the monitor. "The computer's detected some sort of strange energy signature. I've never seen anything like it."

"Energy signature? What kind? And where's it coming from?"

"Um…" Mae typed quickly. "I can't tell. Whatever's making the signature is creating an immense amount of magical radiation and the computer can't penetrate it to get an exact location. But, I can narrow it down to…" The computer beeped and Mae gasped. "It's coming from the Palace. Above us!"

From above..? Closing her eyes, Ami visualized the throne room and tried to teleport there.

Nothing happened.

Cursing softly, Ami stared at the ceiling. _Why can't I teleport? Is it because of-_

Glass shattered. Something whined piteously.

Mae shot to her feet, upsetting her chair and nearly colliding with Ami. "What was-" Ami clamped a hand over her aide's mouth, eyes focused on the wooden boards.

A hand thrust out from the gap in the boards, clawing the air. A second joined the first. Then a third. The whines changed in pitch, becoming those of hunger.

Ami backed away, drawing Mae with her. "No sudden movements." It was amazing how calm her voice sounded, especially with her heart threatening to burst out her chest. "Don't run. Just keep backing up."

With a loud crash, a fist burst through one of the boards, breaking it. A head popped through the hole, and Ami heard Mae stifling a shriek. Although humanoid in appearance, the creature's skin was completely smooth, lacking all facial features, even a nose. Serenity's clones had gotten free.

The thing shoved. Wood broke, and it heaved until most of its upper body was free. Three others broke down the wood, struggling to escape, and Ami swallowed a gasp of her own. They were evolving as they came out, two had eyes and mouths, and one had even developed bizarre spikes all along its body.

It was more than Mae could take. She tore free from Ami's grasp and, stumbling, tried to run for the door.

As if suddenly aware that its prey was fleeing, the first clone's head snapped up, swiveled to follow Mae's progress. A sudden heave and it spilled onto the floor. Moving on all fours, it charged across the floor towards Mae.

"Shine Aqua-" A second clone tackled Ami, and they crashed into a table, with the thing on top of Ami and trying to claw her face off. She threw it off. Climbed to her feet. Another landed on her back. Fangs sank into her left shoulder and she screamed. Twisting frantically, she reached behind her, caught the thing by the neck and sent a blast of power through its body. It fell to the ground, writhing in agony. 

Ami turned. "Mae!" Her aide was pinned against a wall, held there by the first clone. The thing's skin had burst open on its face, making way for an elongated muzzle full of teeth. It snapped at her, trying to bite her throat, but her frantic flailing kept it from succeeding. Mae shrieked.

Movement out of the corners of her eyes forced her to duck, and the clone sailed over her head. It twisted in mid-air, landed on its feet on the floor, and launched itself at her again. Ami barely dodged, and the sharp, stinging pain along her cheek told her it had still managed to tag her. Next time it wouldn't miss.

If they didn't get out there now, they never would.

__

I'm not a hero. Ami spun, spied her coffee mug miraculously untouched and scooped it up. _I'm a scientist, not a fighter._ The clone leaped at her, snarling. She swung the mug – _I must be crazy!_ – and connected with the thing's head. The mug shattered, spilling hot coffee all over her hand and the thing's face. It screeched and stumbled past her, clawing at its face.

Ami picked up a broken table leg. With a loud yell, she charged the clone holding Mae and swung the improvised weapon as hard as she could. The blow landed at the juncture of neck and shoulder with a loud crunch, and it sagged. Mae kicked it away from her.

Ami grabbed her arm. "Let's go!" Mae didn't move, and Ami turned around.

Ten clones surrounded them, bodies in a permanent state of flux. And more appeared every second from the gap in the wall. Ami's shoulder throbbed; she could feel the muscle stiffening, hindering the movement of that arm. With Mae behind her and the wall behind Mae, Ami tightened her hands on her makeshift weapon and realized that no amount of planning was going to save them this time.

However… There was one option.

__

No, Ami thought, glancing around. _I can't do it. Not again. I won't be like Her!_

Even if might cost you your life? Ami's own words echoed in her ears.

__

Even if it meant my life, I will not be like Mercury.

And what about Mae? Is it fair to ask her to die, just because you think you'll lose control and kill her anyway?

What?!

They're waiting for you to fail, the more irrational part of Ami's soul said. _And when you do, they'll tear you to shreds, and then they'll kill Mae._ One of the clones scooted closer and Ami swung at it. It scooted back into the circle, but it was closer than it had been. They were all moving in.

__

There is no man in a cape and mask to save you this time. The only person who's going to save you is you.

"Doctor Mizuno…" Mae's voice was shaky, and she was pale, but she was smiling weakly. "I'm sorry your coffee was too hot."

Ami glanced at her. Somehow, she managed a smile of her own. "I'm not." Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. _I can't believe I'm doing this…_ And released the power.

It came faster than she expected: a blizzard of snow and ice and pain, the kind of pain you feel when you go indoors after being outside way to long and the frozen parts of you start to thaw out. Parts of Ami, the parts that had frozen when Mercury had possessed her, and, even older, the parts that had died when Usagi had died, were suddenly alive, painfully alive, fully alive. A thought came: _I'm me again…_

Just that fast, it was over. She was surprised to feel tears on her cheeks.

"Doctor Mizuno!" Mae's voice snapped her out of her reverie. The clones were attacking them.

Super Sailor Mercury lifted her hands, stroked the air in front of her. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Torrents of ice water appeared, flinging the creatures back. Unable to take the onslaught, they scrambled away, clambering over each other in their haste to get away from her.

Mercury turned. "The door, quickly!"

Mae obeyed immediately, running for the door. Mercury followed her, tossing an occasional Shine Aqua Illusion at any clone that tried to attack. 

They made it to the hall in one piece, and Mercury slammed the door. Closing her eyes, she placed both hands flat on the door, and sent her power cascading through it. When she pulled back, the door had been frozen shut; a slab of thick ice preventing entry or exit.

Mercury backed up. "That should hold them. At least for a while." She caught Mae staring at her. "What is it?"

"You… you are…" The poor woman looked like she had just had a face to face encounter with God. Or her childhood idol. "You didn't say the speech." She blushed immediately and looked away.

Mercury laughed. "Yeah, I guess I forgot. I'll say it next time."

The floor beneath them rumbled and Mercury glanced up, her good mood vanishing as she remembered the real threat. "Mae, gather anybody you can find and get them to a safe place. Preferably someplace outside. There is a sewer system in the lower levels of the Palace. If the main entrances are blocked, make your way down there."

"Where will you be?"

"Where else? Saving the world again." Mercury said. Turning, she sprinted down the hallway, searching for a way higher up.

Hopefully, there would be a world left to save.

* * *

Serenity smiled to Herself.

Everything was going exactly as She wanted, exactly as She had planned. The three Inners had finally embraced their Senshi aspects, and it was only a matter of time before the three Outers did, as well.

Speaking of Time… "Saturn."

The Senshi of Death ripped Her Glaive free from the mutant's body. Bleeding as it was, it still tried to attack Her and She kicked it in the face. It fell to the ground, alive but unconscious. Saturn ignored it as She turned towards Serenity. "My Queen?"

It would be such a waste to see Saturn die, but a plan was a plan. Closing Her hand over the Silver Crystal, Serenity allowed some of Her power to wane. It wouldn't do to overwhelm Hotaru and have her die before she was supposed to. She said, "I must continue onwards if I am to be ready in time. Deal with the two humans and then follow Me."

Saturn turned, gazing off across the throne room where Hotaru and the still unconscious Minako was. An expression similar to but not quite distaste flickered across Her features. "Highness…"

"Is something wrong, Saturn?" Serenity asked sweetly. If Saturn didn't obey… _She _must _obey. I have no time to deal with Her Myself._

Saturn glanced again at Her counterpart. Finally, She said, "As You command."

Now, Serenity allowed Her smile to show. "Good. Very good." Calling power to Her, She opened a hole in reality and stepped through, to Her next destination.

__

Time to regain what is Mine.

Legal Stuff: 

I don't own any of the Sailor Senshi. Er… the Descendants. Or is it the Avatars..? Whatever. I only own the original characters.   
  
This has been a production of Blueberry Enterprises.  
www.geocities.com/sailorfalcon/


	26. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor  
  
  
  
Chapter 26 – 

Carefully, Hotaru stretched Minako out on the floor, doing her best to avoid aggravating her friend's already serious wounds. Minako was pale; Hotaru could clearly see the veins in Minako's face. Much of her clothing was a shredded, bleeding mess. Even for someone with supernatural healing, Minako's wounds were just too severe. If she didn't get some sort of medical attention soon…

Hotaru cursed herself bitterly. _Why do I have to be so weak?_

She sighed faintly, and touched two fingers to Minako's throat, feeling Minako's pulse and using her health-sense to gauge Minako's condition. She might not be able to heal Minako, but at least she could figure out where her worst injuries lie and do something to stymie them.

A sudden pricking at the back of her neck alerted her to the other presence. Power washed over Hotaru, power so thick she could barely see straight. She thought, briefly, _Why now?_ And somehow managed to speak. "So, you've come, Saturn."

The Senshi was silent and Hotaru didn't turn around. With her back to Saturn, she knew that all it would take was one swing of the Glaive. A single swipe and no more Hotaru. The thought was not as depressing as it should have been.

However, when the expected blow didn't fall, Hotaru said softly, "Will you not give me what is mine?"

"It is not mine to give. Only you can fulfill that particular wish." Saturn's voice, just as soft as Hotaru's, sharpened slightly. "But, know this: I shall resist with all the power that I possess."

Hotaru watched Minako's ragged breathing. Eventually, when she spoke, it was in an even fainter voice than before. "For centuries, they grew in power, and all I did was watch from the sidelines. All I've ever done was watch from the sidelines. Only twice has anything I've ever done been significant and, out of those two times, they tried to kill me the first time, and the second time I was stopped by a girl that only lives in my memories.

"I'm sick of it. I'm sick and tired and disgusted of being 'Hotaru – the girl that needs to be protected unless the world is in utter danger and then we'll tell her we need her, but we really don't.' All I ever did as Hotaru was live waiting for a death that never actually managed to take place, and all I ever did as Sailor Saturn was kill without actually managing to kill a damn thing."

She stood, then, and glared fiercely into Saturn's dead eyes. "Resist _me_? You can't resist me anymore than I could kill you. We're _dead_, Saturn! We're dead, and we're alive, and we're not really either and you know what? I'd kill Serenity Herself, I'd shatter that damned Silver Crystal, and I wouldn't think twice about destroying the Senshi. I'd kill every single person on this miserable rock if it meant I'd die _and stay dead_!

"Do Your job!"

An expression flickered in Saturn's eyes and Her hands, holding the Glaive, tightened. "No."

Hotaru stepped forward, into the range of that deadliest of weapons. "I heard Serenity. You were ordered to kill me and Minako-chan. But, she's not getting out of the mess she created that easily, so you'll have to deal with me first. Now, do Your job."

Again came the emotion across Saturn's face, but this time Hotaru could place it.

Yearning. Desperate yearning.

Hotaru's voice dropped to an intense whisper. "Life without death is meaningless. Life without hope is worse than meaningless. It's Hell. Hope died centuries ago, and although she is a shoddy imitation, the woman that calls Herself Serenity is the closest thing to a Princess we have. I'm a threat to Your Princess. Do Your duty. Eliminate the threat."

Saturn jerked back, but not before something flared and died in Her eyes. Her grip on the Glaive changed. "Very well… I shall perform my duty…"

Even expecting it, Hotaru never thought the blow would come so fast. The Silence Glaive plowed through her chest, burst out the other side, and continued through until Saturn's hands meeting Hotaru's sternum stopped its travel. With their faces inches apart, Saturn's eyes burned into Hotaru's, more alive and more lethal than Hotaru could ever remember seeing them.

They stood, connected, for almost a full minute. And then, in that same single fluid motion, Saturn hauled the Glaive backwards, out of Hotaru's body, which was quickly followed by a gush of blood and-

Pain! More pain than Hotaru had ever dreamed possible. More pain than anybody could ever deal with. She screamed, barely heard herself scream over the howling roar in her head. She fell, fell to and through the floor into a sea of blackness and her own blood and with Saturn's voice chasing her down, down, down…

_I will perform My duty, Tomoe Hotaru… but, in return, you _must_ fulfill yours…_

* * *

She knew something was wrong before she reached the throne room. The double doors, large and ornate and pure white against the crystalline walls, hung open, teetering dangerously at the cusp of falling. The floor, the walls, even the ceiling high overhead, were pitted and scorched, as if someone had liberally splashed everything with a highly corrosive acid. The air had a vague burnt odor to it, and it hung with the same thick silence that a graveyard contained.

She stood at the end of the hall for several minutes, taking that long to decide the best course of action. Should she charge in with harp playing and water flinging, and hope that she caught whoever had done this off-guard? Or should she be stealthy, using her fog to sneak in and praying that she managed to get off an attack before she was discovered? Or, she could always-

__

Would it kill me to be spontaneous for once? And she strode through the doors, into the throne room beyond.

She walked in on a scene of chaos, barely managed a glimpse of the sheer destruction, and a weight landed on her, bearing her to the floor. She almost let loose an attack before she realized that the body above her was both injured and far too furry to be anything but a Ku'dath. She scrambled out from beneath him, carefully helped him to roll over. And she gasped. "Stormcatcher?"

She hardly recognized him; there didn't seem to be a place on his body not caked with blood and matted fur. Half of his tail was gone. One of his arms had been broken in at least two places. His right ear was bloody shreds. The left looked like it had been crushed. One of his eyes was lost beneath a jagged cut across his face. The other gleamed dully as it watched her. It was a miracle he was still alive.

"Stormcatcher," she said again, less surprised than she had been. "What happened?"

He let out a thick grunt. His one eye focused on her face. "You help them?"

"Yes, of course. I'll do what I can." _Stupid! Why didn't I bring anything with-_

Them?

Mercury turned slowly, knowing what she'd see. Funny, how the mind would simply glide over details it didn't want to acknowledge… Standing, she walked towards them, mind working on automatic as she tallied wounds, calculated time.

Minako… Minako was alive. Barely. The movement of her chest was so subtle that she didn't appear to be breathing. Only Mercury's visor detected the faint heartbeat.

Next to Minako, sprawled on her back, Hotaru didn't appear to be injured, at least not in any way that Mercury could see. But that didn't change the facts.

Hotaru was dead.

__

I should've gotten here faster…

She knelt between them. Hotaru's eyes were still open. Mercury took a deep breath, lifted a hand towards Hotaru.

Hotaru's hands closed around her throat. The dead woman grated, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't snap your neck." And Mercury found herself staring into the most enraged, most baleful, most _alive_ pair of eyes that she had ever come across.

Hotaru's grip was like cold steel. Mercury gasped out, "Hotaru!"

With agonizing slowness, Hotaru's expression changed from rage to bewilderment. "Ami?" She released her, and Mercury almost collapsed, breathing hard and feeling light-headed and dizzy. Hotaru sat up. "What are you doing here, Ami? _When_ did you get here? How long was I unconscious?"

"Hotaru." Mercury tried to speak, but all that came out of her bruised throat was a croak. She squeezed her eyes shut as the room spun lazily.

"Man, I almost blew the window entirely." Mercury risked a glance to see Hotaru kneeling next to Minako, hands on the other woman's stomach. A pale glow surrounded Hotaru. Beneath her hands, Minako suddenly took a deep breath as her entire body went rigid.

"Hotaru…" Better this time, but her voice was still rough. Mercury straightened and touched her throat. She winced. A bruise was beginning to form, she could feel it.

Eyes focused intently on Minako, Hotaru said, "You okay, Ami? You don't look to good."

"Hotaru, _what_ happened? You were dead!"

"_Am_ dead," Hotaru corrected mildly. "Scan me."

"What?"

"Scan me."

Mercury did.

After several minutes of silence, Hotaru said, "Well?"

Mercury said, "That's impossible." And the tremor in her voice had nothing to do with her throat.

Hotaru met her gaze briefly, and smiled. "Give it a minute. You'll understand." Minako groaned and Hotaru returned her attention to her.

"You… That's… It isn't possible."

"Sure, it's possible. Saturn killed me, but I can't be killed because I am Saturn. Or, at least I was at the time I died. See, it's got something to do with the fact that Death doesn't die. Or something like that."

"_You have no pulse!_" Mercury screamed at her.

"Minor technicality." She lifted her hands. "Ah… I think our fearless leader's coming around."

Minako's voice was slurred, but clear. She muttered with her eyes closed. "'They were all so beautiful in their pain… and all like angels when they died…'"

A strange look passed over Hotaru's face, then she shrugged and it passed. She stood. "She'll be lucid in a minute. I'll see to ye olde furry one."

Mercury's mind jump-started itself. "Hotaru, forgive my language, but _what_ the hell happened to you?"

Hotaru paused in the act of turning away. "Sometimes," she said quietly, almost to herself, "Sometimes, the only way to know yourself, to really _know_ yourself, is to become someone else. So, I became someone else. And, now, I know who I am." Her voice trailed off as her eyes lost focus. Then she shook herself and laughed. "Jeez, if I keep this up, I might actually start to make sense." Snickering, she walked over to where Stormcatcher still lay.

Because she didn't know what else to do, Mercury did the only thing she could do, and turned her attention to the still mumbling Minako.

At least she could deal with Minako's brand of insanity.

* * *

So much to do in so little time.

Serenity examined the tall columns, toppled and ruined by time and other things. This had been the outer gardens, where the public had come. And marveled. And realized that there was no other quite as beautiful, as wonderful, or as merciful as their Queen.

Now they were dust, dust and ash and other debris, subject to whatever wind happened to blow. The acres of roses, so meticulously cared for by a small army of gardeners, was gone. The arches lay in shambles. The pathways, once paved in brilliant white, were shattered and it would be years before they would regain their former splendor.

"This will not do," She murmured. Her words cut the silence but with no effect. As powerful as She was, She simply was not strong enough. Not yet.

She started to turn around, and felt Terri balk. Ever since that moment, that horrible moment when Terri's body had locked up allowing Minako that one brief attack, there had been the faintest… shadow in the back of Serenity's mind, like the fluttering movement of butterfly's wings only just seen. That any part of Terri should still exist at all bothered Serenity, but, for even the split second it had occurred, to lose _control_…

With a silent snarl, She hurled the presence into the background, buried it beneath so many different layers of control, that escape would be impossible. _I will _not_ tolerate such insubordination again. Not from you. Not from anyone._ The presence settled itself, and Serenity smiled grimly.

She turned, passing through the inner gardens, leaving the dead gardens behind as she entered the courtyard, and from there into the castle itself.

Now, there were scenes of the battle that had spelled the Kingdom's ruin. Here, a gouge in the stone walls nearly three meters long, the broken halberd that made the wound on the floor. There, the stone lay burnt in an almost perfect circle, where a magician had fought a desperate battle, and lost. A spear, tinged blue and crystalline, pinned a shirt of grey scale mail to a door that had been broken. The haft of the spear lay in the room beyond, old blood still staining it.

She walked past these things, relics of a two thousand year-old battle, and did not pause to wonder about them. The past, even Her past, meant nothing to Her.

Eventually, Her path brought to the place She sought. To the seat of power, where, once, nobles and peasants alike had stood, waiting, to be judged over. The throne room of Her predecessor, the very dead Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom.

__

How utterly unlike the throne room of the Crystal Palace, She thought. _Somehow, I expected it to be bigger._ Less than half the size of its counterpart on Earth, it might have been a wonderful display of architecture at some point in time. Now, however, it was simply one room in a growing pile of destruction. At the end of the room, resting upon a dais exactly nine steps from the floor, sat a throne of silver.

Super Sailor Pluto sat on the throne, her staff absent.

Serenity's eyes narrowed. "What manner of vermin is this?"

"The envenomed kind," Pluto said.

Movement. From opposite sides, two women came into view, lifting swords to Serenity's neck. "Kaioh Michiru. Tenoh Haruka. Do you so willingly follow the traitor to her death?"

Michiru said, "We do not 'follow' Setsuna anywhere. We've come of our own free will."

Haruka said, "And whatever your plot is, Serenity, it will not end with our deaths."

"Oh? And has the mighty Pluto foreseen this, then?" Her gaze slid past them, to Pluto. "Have you suddenly become God, Pluto, to know the fates of men?" She sneered. "None of you have even the slightest understanding of what it is I plan to do."

"Nevertheless," Pluto said, rising, "We will not let you do it."

"So calm. So confident." Serenity smiled coldly. "And so utterly _stupid_." She gathered power. Sensing Her intentions, the two women moved as one, swords slicing the air. Serenity vanished, reappearing in the center of the chamber. A thought vaporized the swords. Another hurled the owners into opposite walls, where they slumped to the floor.

She turned in time to dodge Pluto's attack. She gestured, and the watched in mild amusement as the staff was ripped from Pluto's hands and embedded itself into the ceiling. Pluto herself was thrown back into the throne and held there by Serenity's will. Serenity said, "You never learn, do you?"

Pluto glared balefully.

Serenity chuckled. "No need to look so angry, child. For the time being, you, and you only, are the safest of all." She turned Her back on the fallen Senshi, or whatever she had chosen to become. "Watch carefully, Pluto, for very soon, all of this, your friends, your world, your very reality, will be nothing more than a fading dream. A dream from which I alone have awakened."

Lifting Her hands, she called forth the Crystal, watching in a sort of expectant joy as light gathered, pooled in Her hands, and a miniature star burst into existence. So wonderful… So exquisite… So-

"Flawed," Pluto said, her voice barely audible over the sudden howling wind. "It's flawed, Serenity, just like you are. Just like you'll always be!"

Serenity ignored her. Closing Her eyes, She opened Her mind to the Crystal, through the Crystal, to the Earth, and to the minds of those the Crystal had chosen. To Her children.

_COME!_

* * *

"_WHY?!"_

Mars stumbled backwards, covering her ears and not sure of how to respond. One minute they had been fighting, the next Neptune had thrown Her head back and had screamed. The sound, one part rage, one part disbelief, all of it sheer pain, had been the single most terrifying sound Mars had ever heard in her life.

What could make a Senshi scream like that?

Neptune fell to Her knees and pounded the ground, fist shattering pavement. "I will not… I _refuse_…" Shaking Her head, the Senshi clawed at the ground. "My Queen, why must You do this?"

"Neptune…" Mars was surprised to hear the sound of her voice.

Neptune's head snapped up and She stared wildly at her. Her gaze was haunted. "'She' calls." And between one heartbeat and the next, She was gone.

Mars stared at the spot Neptune had been, stunned. "She" calls?

"Rei-chan!" Mars turned and saw Jupiter running towards her. "Mako-chan?"

Jupiter was pale and shaky, a reflection of how Mars felt. "Rei-chan, what's going on? All of a sudden Uranus went crazy and disappeared. Bellowed something about Serenity and just-"

_COME!_

Jupiter's eyes glazed over. She looked up at the sky. "She's calling us."

"I know." Like Jupiter's, Mars' voice was flat. "We have to go."

Somewhere, deep inside of her, a part of Mars screamed a warning that went unheeded._ ._

Legal Stuff: 

I don't own any of the Sailor Senshi. Er… the Descendants. Or is it the Avatars..? Whatever. I only own the original characters.   
  
This has been a production of Blueberry Enterprises.  
www.geocities.com/sailorfalcon/


	27. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic  
By Kristin Renee Taylor  
Chapter 27 – 

Neo-Queen Serenity glared down at her. "What the hell do you want?"

"I've come to destroy you!" Piped Super Sailor Venus in a curiously high-pitched, tinny voice. "Prepare to die by my ultimate attack: THE SAILOR-V LOVELY THORNS OF LOVE ROSEBUSH ATTACK!!!" Gesturing wildly with her arms, she summoned the overgrown hedge-growth, and watched in triumph as Neo-Queen Serenity was slain by it.

"I am indeed completely and overwhelmingly slain!" Neo-Queen Serenity confirmed. She died.

Super Sailor Venus laughed victoriously. "And thus does Love once again triumph over the nasty forces of E-Ville. Let this be a stern and commanding lesson to all those who would dare taint the protectorate of the Child of Love, Super Sailor Venus! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The grimace that flickered over Minako's face was full of self-contempt. The Lovely Thorns of Love Rosebush Attack? Was she so far lost to despair that her imagination was reduced to cheesy, nonsensical attack names? Plants weren't even her province, for crying out loud.

Minako shook her head as she paced. If the best idea she could come up with was to suddenly discover a previously unknown magic attack, then everything really was doomed.

"Minako-chan?" 

The two Avatars and the Ku'dath watched her in silence: Super Sailor Mercury with concern on her face, Stormcatcher looking puzzled and angry, and Hotaru, who kept alternating between her Senshi fuku and her normal clothing between every glance, fondling the Silence Glaive with obvious relish. They were all that she had. They were all that were left; she had to trust Rei and Makoto to be able to handle themselves.

A migraine was starting to develop, smack-dab between her eyes. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, and let her mind drift briefly into another fantasy of defeating Serenity. She grimaced again.

There was only one thing she could think of that might stop Serenity.

Mercury, surprised at the look on Minako's face, asked, "What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath to steady her, and turned to face the others. "Okay, here's the deal. I never actually thought we'd have to use this, but, Serenity's left us with no choice." She took another breath and let it out slowly. She looked at Mercury. "You remember that 'Big Evil' Mako-chan found in Paris?"

She watched Mercury frown slightly, as her thoughts turned inward, remembering. And then her eyes widened in disbelief. She opened her mouth, ready to protest-

MY CHILDREN! COME!

The migraine became a split of pain, straight down the center of her brain. Something reached into Minako's mind and yanked. Hard. She staggered and fell to her knees, one hand pressed to her head and the other clutching her heart, and fought to retain her sanity. She had to go… somewhere. She was being… being…

"…calls." Mercury's voice, void of emotion, drifted towards her.

Yes. That was it. She was being called and she had to go to- _No! You're not me! Get out of my head!_ Some part of her, the part that still belonged to Venus, surged angrily, but she beat it back into submission. She looked up, the simple motion taking forever, and saw that Mercury stared at the ceiling of the throne room, eyes unfocused. Beside her, Hotaru, now fully Super Sailor Saturn, echoed her, and her voice was as toneless as Mercury's. "Yes. We have to go to Her."

"No," Minako's voice was the barest croak. "Don't listen…" She struggled to gain a breath. She could feel Mercury and Saturn gaining power, preparing to teleport. She couldn't let them leave. In desperation, she turned to the only person unaffected. _Stormcatcher! _

As the Ku'dath turned to look at her, she heard laughter in her mind. _FOOLISH MORTAL, I ALREADY TOLD YOU. YOU WERE NOT CHOSEN._

Minako screamed as silver light flared in her mind, obliterating everything.

* * *

Setsuna Meioh, called by some Time Lord, Guardian, Watcher and Observer, but, more often known as Super Sailor Pluto, sat with her eyes closed and prayed. She hated chance; too many things left to chance meant to many ways for something to go wrong, for factors unimagined and unaccounted to wreak havoc across a delicately designed web.

Chance also meant that the future was out of Setsuna's control and that, of course, was intolerable.

How ironic, she thought. _To think that I would, once again, be dependent on Minako's luck._ She smiled, bitterly.

Beneath the surface of Setsuna's mind, she felt the presence of those she considered her friends: Haruka's anger, sharp and abrasive. Michiru's fury, depthless and cold. They both struggled, as Setsuna had ceased to do, against the power that held them captive, separated at either side of the throne room, unable to move, speak, or fight. They were no threat to Serenity, and they knew it.

As if privy to her thoughts, Serenity said, "They are, indeed, quite pathetic."

Setsuna opened her eyes and lifted her head enough to see Serenity in front of her. The dispossessed Queen stood with Her back to the throne where Setsuna sat, trapped and useless. "Terri's body ill-suits you, Highness. You should rid yourself of it."

"A last, desperate play at arrogance, Pluto?" With arms folded and an air of contempt, She looked over Her shoulder at Setsuna, watching her through Terri's strange, unfocused eyes.

"Merely a suggestion, Highness." Setsuna glanced up, at the ceiling, where her Staff protruded out of the rock like some bizarre stalactite. Even if she could somehow free it, even if she could somehow _reach_ it, the effort would be wasted. Serenity had already proven that Setsuna, also, was not a threat.

Seeing the direction of her gaze, Serenity smirked and lifted a hand. The Time Staff shuddered and tore free of its resting place, floating down into Serenity's open palm. When She gripped the Staff, red light pulsed from the Garnet Orb, beating in time to some unknown heart.

Serenity turned completely towards Setsuna, twirling the Staff lazily in both hands. "I never quite understood you, Pluto. How someone who claims to revere Time as much as you do can go about blithely manipulating it at every opportunity. I guess all of that 'we mustn't affect the Timestream' nonsense was merely that: nonsense. And that makes you both a hypocrite and a liar."

Had she been someone else, Setsuna would have responded with a snide yet witty remark. Instead, she ground her teeth in frustrated silence and glared at the Queen.

Serenity arched an eyebrow, amused by the silence. "No words, Pluto? No threats? Not even a vague attempt to justify your actions? How droll." She chuckled. "I see I shall have to elicit My responses from you." She pivoted, and brought the Staff up. "Dead-" The Garnet Orb's light suddenly became bloody brilliance, bathing Michiru in its harsh glow.

Setsuna threw all of her remaining strength into a Command. "Terri!"

"Scr-" Serenity's body spasmed, and She fell to Her knees, the Time Staff dropping from unresponsive hands and rolling off the dais. Terri hunched over, burying her face in her hands. "I… I won't…"

White fury drowned out the protest, and Setsuna's mind with it. She blacked out for several seconds.

When she was next aware, she noticed blood from her nose dripping onto her fuku. Despite the pain coming from it, it didn't feel broken. She almost laughed; here she was, facing the destruction of reality as she knew it, and she was concerned with how she looked. A particularly hysterical giggle almost escaped, but she fought it down, along with the vertigo and nausea, and forced her head back up.

Serenity's glare was sufficient to shatter stone. Power writhed around Her.

Feeling incredibly foolish, and not caring one bit, Setsuna smiled at Her and said, "Not entirely under your control, is she? That must bother you."

Serenity's eyes narrowed. The palace rumbled around them. Power stretched towards Setsuna.

"Highness." Six voices chorused simultaneously. The six that appeared knelt on the ground, eyes only their Queen: Uranus, Neptune, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, and Saturn. Out of them all, only Uranus and Neptune even seemed aware of what was going on. The others were as blank and empty as puppets. The two, the last remaining of the Senshi that had not merged with their Descendant, seethed internally, outrage in their eyes.

Serenity froze, Her power caught in check, unfulfilled rage in Her eyes. Softly, She said, "Neptune."

As the named Senshi stood, Setsuna's eyes widened in alarm. "Serenity-" She wouldn't..?!

Serenity smirked at her. Without turning, She gestured in Neptune's direction.

Haruka let out a sudden howl of fury.

Even knowing what would happen, it was still shocking to watch as, without a shout or cry, Neptune simply ceased to exist as Her corpearl form was shredded by Serenity's will. For an instant, the glowing cloud of bluish-light hovered before the Queen, then it sped away, drawn across the room towards Michiru. Despite her thrashing, it settled around her, seeped into her skin, poured through her mouth and nose. Michiru's head snapped back. She cried out hoarsely, and the sigil of Neptune blazed to life on her forehead. Her form wavered, her clothes shifted, and she collapsed where she was, gasping and retching as the transformation completed itself.

Super Sailor Neptune huddled on the ground, breathing in deep, ragged gasps of air.

Serenity turned to a lived Haruka. "As you can see, your cooperation is hardly required."

"Highness… Queen Serenity." Disbelief and anger and fear warred on Uranus' face.

Serenity barely spared Her a glance. "No doubt You are wondering why." She smiled, slightly. "Simple: You were made to die."

Furious, Uranus launched Herself at Serenity.

Serenity's smile widened.

* * *

The smell of dirt woke her up. That, and the light, springy breeze that brushed her face. And the feeling of grass and roots poking beneath her. And a myriad of other sensations that combined to tell her that she was awake, and not dead as she had feared. Which was, of course, pretty impossible. She _should_ be dead. Right?

Only one way to tell for certain.

She opened her eyes. Above her, a tall elm tree loomed. Through its leafy branches she caught glimpses of a blue, cloudless sky.

"This," she commented to the tree, "Is not Kansas."

"Nor are you Dorothy," the tree responded, wry amusement in his voice. "And I am sure as Hell not Toto."

Minako sat up, and nearly passed out from the pain. A hand caught her shoulder, pressing her back down. "Best that you don't move for awhile. You took quite a hit."

As it seemed as though the ground beneath her was trying to throw her into the orbit, she heartily agreed. She closed her eyes while the world stabilized. "Where am I?"

"Outside of Reality, but not in a Dream. Neither in Heaven, nor in Hell." Minako groaned and her companion chuckled. "You are, Minako, when you could have easily have been Not. Be content with that."

Memory returned. "Serenity tried to kill me." Anger gave her strength to push the vertigo away. She sat up, more slowly this time. "She tried to kill me!"

"Actually, no, She didn't. She tried to Unmake you. Thankfully, I've been watching you, so I was able to act before She succeeded, pulling you here."

Minako glared at her companion, and the glare turned to a look of surprise. "You're…" The man that sat beside her looked to be in his mid-twenties. Tanned skin and the dark brown, simple clothing he wore made his hair, bright white and pulled back in a ponytail, all the more shocking. Only his eyes, gray flecked with gold, gave away his true age.

He gave her a wry half-smile, but his eyes were sad. "I am not him, Cara."

She flinched as if slapped.

He grimaced. "Sorry. I forgot you hated that name."

Minako looked away. Featureless green met her sight. She was apparently sitting under the only tree in the entire plains. The sun arched high overhead. The wind tossed her hair about her, carrying with it the scent of wildflowers and the fainter promise of rain. "Why do you look like him?"

He sighed, faintly. "The body you see before you I pulled from your mind, Minako. This is how you saw him... and how he saw himself. That is, when either of you weren't trying to deny your mutual pasts."

For an instant, memories surged into Minako's mind and she remembered: The bastard daughter of the Kingdom's disgraced King and the cursed man that she had helped kill… Ruthlessly, she shoved the memories back. She growled, "Cara's dead. Let's keep her that way."

"It wasn't your fault, you know."

"I _said-_"

He raised his hands in supplication. "My apologies. I suppose that was a bit too far."

"Damn straight." She scowled across the endless plains. "You didn't bring me here to talk about past lives. What's the deal?"

"The deal?" And for an instant his smile was painfully familiar. "The deal is this-"

* * *

Super Sailor Uranus and Super Sailor Neptune both bowed to their Queen, soulless eyes reflecting nothing. It might have been better if they had been killed, instead of turned into… whatever the Senshi were becoming now.

Serenity regarded Her chosen with pleasure. "Senshi were created to serve, Pluto. That is why everything you do, everything you plan, is doomed to fail against Me. Ultimately, you must yield to the will of the one you serve."

"I do not serve a ghost," she whispered, humor forgotten. In its place lurked despair, darker and deeper than she had thought possible.

Serenity ignored her. "And serve me you shall in this, your final act. We will bring peace to the Earth and its inhabitants. We will return the world to its former health and glory." The Time Staff held in one hand, the Silver Crystal in the other, She smiled at Pluto. "Through the power of the Silver Crystal and this Staff, we will once again live the Silver Millennium."

"No!" Panic and fear tore through her; this was the very thing she had been sent to prevent. "You cannot, _must not_-"

* * *

Minako stared at him. "She's going to reverse _Time_?"

"Not reverse. Destroy. There will be no boundaries, no definition between Past, Present, and Future. _Everything_ will exist at the same time. And the strain of such a merging will surely destroy reality. With no possible hope of restoration."

She shot to her feet, dread tying her stomach in knots. "How do I stop her!?"

He looked up at her sadly. "You can't."

She stilled. Softly, "I don't buy that."

"Minako." His voice was full of sympathy. It only made her more frantic.

"How do I get out of here?" She looked around, searching for a tunnel, a door, _anything_ that would let her out of wherever the heck she was. "Where's the freakin' exit!"

"Minako."

She whirled on him. "How the Hell can you sit there and tell me there's nothing I can do? Do you honestly expect me to just sit by and watch as She destroys everything I care about? Everything I love? I'll _find_ a way to stop Her, so help me God, now _how do I get out of here_?!" Her eyes added, _And I'll go through you, if I have to._

He sighed, resigned, and stood. "Through here." He pointed at the elm.

The sky suddenly rumbled. A bolt of lightening arced out from the clear sky, striking the very top of the elm tree. The elm exploded into flames with a deafening boom, and the force of it threw Minako back several feet to the ground. She threw up her arms, shielding her face as chips and hunks of burning wood flew past her. Slowly, shaking her head to clear the ringing in her ears, Minako glanced up at the sky. There were no clouds.

He pulled her back from her surprise. "Through there, Minako, lies the Lunar Palace. Serenity is there. If you are going to do anything, you must hurry." He gestured to the shattered and burning tree trunk.

She stood slowly and walked towards the tree. Hesitating, she looked at her companion. "Did she tell you that? That it wasn't my fault?"

He looked slightly taken aback. "Er, yes. She did."

"Ah…" Minako shook her head and smiled. "Odd… I think that's the first time she's ever told a lie." Before he could ask, she took a running leap into the heart of the tree, and into another world.

* * *

"Who was she talking about?"

"Hm?" He looked away as the tree collapsed in on itself. Within minutes, it had burned itself out, and only a charred husk remained.

"Who," said the woman floating a few feet away from him, "was she talking about? Was it me?"

Gray eyes met mint-green. He snorted. "You? Never tell a lie?" He repeated the noise. "Don't make me laugh."

She glared at him, but he ignored her.

The ground beneath them started to shake. The sky darkened, the clouds turning almost black. He looked up. "It's starting." He looked at the woman meaningfully. "We should head back. The Prince is expecting us."

"So, he is…" For a moment longer, woman and man looked at the remains of the tree. "So he is…" he repeated softly. And then both were gone.

* * *

Minako stumbled into the room and fell, thick clouds of dust rising as she landed. Coughing, she stood. Bits of tile dropped off her clothes. Covering her nose and mouth, she took stock of her surroundings.

The room was large, octagonal, and in a horrid state of disrepair. The floor had been blasted, dozens of eight-sided tiles lay shattered and broken. A rift split one of the walls and bits of glass littered the floor around the hole. Beyond the hole was a hallway, and the faint light spilling inside was enough for her to recognize where she stood. It was the Chamber of Oaths, the place where she had given up her claim to the Venusian throne and vowed to protect a whining, sniveling, selfish brat of a princess a dozen lifetimes ago. It was also the place where, several hundred years ago, she had broken that vow to save the world.

This was the lowest floor of the Lunar Palace. If memory served her correctly then Serenity's, that is the Lunarian Queen Serenity's, throne room should be several floors above her.

The ground quaked violently. A chunk of masonry fell, narrowly missed landing on her head. As the quaking grew more violent she ran for the gap, diving through just as the ceiling of the Chamber collapsed. She rolled across the floor, struck the far wall, and lay there for a second, stunned.

Little lines of dust drifted down from the ceiling. A section of the wall further down the hall crashed to the ground.

Great, Minako thought. She picked herself up and sprinted down the hallway, searching for a way to get higher. _Not only do I have to save the universe, now I have to do it while outrunning a cave-in._

The floor ahead of her suddenly vanished. She leaped the gap without missing a step.

This almost might not be worth it…

Legal Stuff: 

I don't own any of the Sailor Senshi. Er… the Descendants. Or is it the Avatars..? Whatever. I only own the original characters.   
  
This has been a production of Blueberry Enterprises.  
www.geocities.com/sailorfalcon/


	28. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic  
By Kristin Renee Taylor

Chapter 28 - 

Neo-Queen Serenity laughed.

With disdainful ease, She seized control of Pluto's power, the power of Time, and by will alone strove to tear down the borders that held reality apart. White fire poured from Her left hand, the hand holding the Silver Crystal, and a red blaze sprang from the Time Staff in Her right. She pulled power from the two artifacts, merging them until She stood surrounded by a pillar of crimson and argent. Power raged throughout the Palace, shook it to its very foundations, distorted the very air with a thick, shimmering haze, and filled the ears with an unending roar like a freight train. Yet the Senshi hardly seemed to notice. Ranged in a loose semi-circle around the dais, they watched their Queen with blank, impassive eyes.

And Neo-Queen Serenity laughed.

* * *

Terri was not laughing.

All of her senses were functioning normally. She could hear, feel, and touch. She could taste and smell. And she understood perfectly what was happening around her, but she could no more affect Serenity's plans than she could move her own body.

Helpless and sick with dismay, she had watched Serenity nearly kill Minako, had felt the deaths of the Ku'dath slain by Uranus and Saturn as keenly as if she had killed them herself, and, with the reappearance of the Senshi, she had understood that Shouji and Yoko were dead. And, at every opportunity a quiet voice, Serenity's voice, urged her to give up, to simply stop resisting and to allow herself to fade into the peace of oblivion.

Locked inside of her own mind, Terri silently wailed in misery at the futility of her situation. There was no hope; nothing could save her.

And then Pluto had Called.

The sound of her name jerked her back. She had clung to her name, to the identity it had represented, and for those few brief seconds, she had regained control. She had regained _freedom_-

Incandescent fury nearly obliterated her. Serenity's rage forced her to the very edge of nothingness, and nearly threw her off. The light of her being guttered, almost went out-

__

No. I will not allow it.

Before she could understand what was happening, Serenity slammed her back, broke her control like it was nothing, and once again imprisoned her within the recesses of her own mind. She didn't understand what had happened, why Serenity had suddenly stopped, or why she was still alive. And Serenity ignored her as if she had simply ceased to exist.

But, deep within herself, something like hope stirred.

* * *

A shimmer of power, barely glimpsed, saved Minako from decapitation.

She had been running full-tilt through a corridor large enough to march an army five abreast when she caught the flash out of the corner of her eyes. She twisted in mid-step, wrenching her momentum to the side, as the wild sword swing cut the air where her head had been a heartbeat before. A sharp line of pain along her cheek told her she hadn't been fast enough.

She stumbled forward a few steps and spun, confronting her attacker, and stared in surprise.

The two soldiers fought viciously, swords dancing in their hands, unaware of Minako's presence. One wore a white uniform, the other gray. Lunar versus Atlantean. Their bodies flickered and wavered like candle flames; she could see walls through their bodies, but the blood running down Minako's cheek proved they were just as real as she was.

She suddenly became aware of a sound, audible over the shaking of the palace. Men shouting, fighting, dying. Chaos erupted into the space around her as the final battle of the Silver Millennium came back to life around her.

The ground heaved suddenly, and she lost her balance, crashed against a wall-

__

"It's a demon! A demon!"

She caught the fleeing soldier by the arm, and used his momentum to swing him around. She barked into his face, "Get back to your position! We can't let them into the Palace." The chastised guard hurried away.

"Venus!"

She turned to see Mercury staggering towards her. Blood matted her hair, coated the side of her face in a slick, red sheen. Her eyes were wild. "The East Tower. Mars… Oh, gods!" For a moment, whatever she had seen was so great she couldn't articulate it. She choked on her words, made frantic, terrified gestures. "Mars is dead. We were betrayed_!" She fell to her knees, sobbing._

Venus stumbled forward a few steps. Betrayed? Her mind was blank with shock. How..? Who could have..? Distantly, she said, "This can't be happening."

And her own voice echoed: "This already happened."

And again. "This is going to happen."

Terrified. "This. Never. Happened_!"_

_Paradoxes yawned around her. She was going crazy._

-was already crazy.

-was never-

She lifted her left hand and, without hesitating, bit into the fleshy part between index finger and thumb. Bit so hard she drew blood-

Coughing, gagging on the taste of blood, Minako struck the wall and fell face-first to the ground. Her muscles twitched and shook as if she were having convulsions. Her left hand throbbed hotly. Flashes of darkness ran across her eyes. 

Beneath her, the ground continued to shake itself towards destruction.

What on Earth had that been? A memory? Some sort of weird flashback? Time going crazy?

Yes, that was it. Different tangents coming together, merging into one. She understood. And what she understood she could fight.

Slowly, she regained enough self-mastery to climb to her feet. Body clenched with determination, Minako pushed herself into a run. She had to hurry.

* * *

Someone called her name.

She ignored it, much as she ignored the power raging around her, or the way the walls and floor of the throne room seemed to shimmer and blur. Images flickered along the edges of her vision, ghosts from the Silver Millennium, many of whom she had known personally. But she ignored them all. Her will belonged to her Queen.

__

She's not your Queen.

Serenity threw Her head back, ecstasy graven onto Her features. She wielded power far beyond any person's comprehension, enough power to destroy solar systems, entire galaxies if She chose. She attacked Time as if it were a personal affront against Her. Nothing could survive such an onslaught and live.

Yet, somehow, Time endured.

Eyes shining with power and fury, Serenity turned, bent Her will towards the still-captive Sailor Pluto. Time's Guardian sprang rigid in the throne, body arching until only her head and feet retained any sort of contact. Eyes squeezed shut, teeth bared in a grimace of pain, the Senshi struggled not to scream.

She ignored them. Ignored the way the air around Serenity and Pluto begin to shimmer and that the continual roar in the air suddenly scaled upwards into a shriek. None of it was important to her.

__

Not important?! Serenity's going to destroy everything and you don't think that's important?

But… Her Queen-

__

That's not_ your Queen!_

Pluto's agony was almost palatable.

The voice grew desperate. _Hino Rei, you have never submitted to anyone in your entire life. Don't you _dare_ start now! Fight!_

Conflicting desires tore at her.

__

Rei-

Serenity was grinning savagely.

__

-please!

Super Sailor Mars started to fight.

* * *

__

Mako-chan…

Super Sailor Jupiter stood, impassive, and watched as Pluto begin to bend beneath the pressure of Serenity's will.

__

Mako-chan, she needs you.

It seemed impossible that one woman could hold out against her Queen, yet, somehow, Pluto refused to break.

__

Help her!

Not breaking, not yet. But definitely bending.

__

She can't stand it, not alone. She needs your strength.

Guilt raged through her and, with it, a semblance of self-awareness. _My strength?_ If she could have, she would have laughed. _My _strength?_ I was never strong!_ _If I had been strong then none of this would be happening now. If I had been strong- _Her guilt floundered.

__

If you had been strong, the voice said, _Usagi would have never died._

Yes. She watched impassively. Internally she was sobbing.

__

No. The voice was gentle but firm. _She would have died regardless. She chose, Mako-chan._ A brief pause while the truth of that statement sank in. Then, _Are you going to let her death mean nothing?_

Softly, _No._

Then fight.

She did.

* * *

__

It was never their fault.

She refused to listen.

__

It was never your _fault._

Oh, but it had been. That's what was so funny. It _was_ her fault. Their fault. Everything that happened was _their_ fault. Because of their doubt and mistrust. They had lacked faith in their Princess, and this was the end result. They had thought Jedite harmless, and look at what had happened! Nothing they had done had ever been enough.

No, worse. In the end, nothing they had done had even mattered. They were useless.

__

Is that what this is about, Haruka?

By Hell, that's exactly what this is about, she panted. _Everything we've done, everything we suffered through, and none of it was necessary. None of it! What was the point of all that fighting? Of all that killing?_

Because it had to be done by someone.

What?

Somebody had to do the things that the Inners were unwilling to do. Somebody had to make Usagi understand the consequences of giving up, of running away. Of what it would mean if she failed. Usagi won her battles because she knew what you would do if she lost. And you had faith in her, Haruka, otherwise you would have never have been able to do what you did.

You're older now, Haruka. And you know that all paths don't end in death.

Have faith in yourself, now.

"Faith," she breathed.

* * *

__

Will she fight?

Yes.

Then so will I.

* * *

Super Sailor Saturn smirked. _I don't even know why you're asking me. You already know my answer._

* * *

The air rippled in front of her. She was going too fast. Unable to stop herself, she plunged into a past.

__

Lightening flashed, and for a split-second the interior of the warehouse was as bright as noon. Then darkness crashed down among the rows of crates with thunder on its heels.

Venus pushed wet hair out of her face and struggled to see through the shadows. "Jupiter! Mars!"

"Here." Mars limped out of one of the aisles, blood running from the wound in her arm. She, too, brushed her hair out of her eyes and the motion left a bloody smear along her forehead. "Where's Jupiter?"

"I don't know." Venus fought down the hysteria threatening her. A part of her kept screaming that everything was wrong somehow, that none of what she was experiencing was happening, had never happened-

"Venus!" Mars snapped. In the faint light, her eyes were two gouges of darkness.

Venus blinked, and came back to the present. Great; she was so tired she was starting to hallucinate. "This place is a deathtrap. We've got to get out of here. Split up. Find Jupiter."

"She's right here." The voice spoke in English.

Venus spun. "Ellis!"

Virginia Ellis smiled, and casually tossed Jupiter's body to the ground. Jupiter's fuku was drenched in blood.

Wrath erupted in her. Howling, "Ellis!" she charged.

Smirking, Ellis lifted a gun and fired.

Pain erupted in Minako's right shoulder. She lost her balance, fell to the ground, and lay there, crying helplessly as her body reacted to being shot. She gasped air, trying to breathe, and distantly she realized she was going into shock. Blackness surged against her mind, urging her to fall away into easy nothingness. The entire prospect of moving, of having to face another distorted timeline, almost overwhelmed her.

__

I won't do it, she thought. _I can't go through that again. I can't…_

Slowly, painfully, Minako got to her feet. As she stood, her body shook uncontrollably. Her clothes felt sticky with blood, and she could feel the fabric stiffening already as her blood dried.

Snarling defiance, she threw herself forward, and almost immediately into the next distortion.

* * *

Super Sailor Mercury watched, impassively, as Mars started to move. The raven-haired Senshi's hands jerked, slowly curling into fists, and her eyes reflected Serenity's power like an expression of hate. To Mercury's left, Jupiter wore an aspect of intense focus, a storm just on the verge of breaking. Uranus clenched her forehead with one hand, as if she could read freedom in the bones of her face. Neptune's eyes were closed, but her mouth stretched open in a silent shout, and Super Sailor Saturn grinned, anticipating death.

But Mercury stood and watched and made no move to help them. The entire concept of fighting Serenity was absurd: the Senshi had no real power, and Serenity's might defied any sort of comprehension. A victory at this point was nigh impossible.

__

You don't honestly believe that, do you?

What she believed didn't matter. Facts were what counted, and the fact was-

__

The fact is that you're giving up.

Slowly, as if she were moving through air thick as tar, Jupiter took a step forward, every muscle in her body rigidly defined. Sweat ran down the sides of her face.

Yes, Mercury supposed she was giving up. The Senshi had very little chance of winning, and that chance was just as slim with her help as it was without. She was just a doctor, after all. What good was a doctor in a battle like this, where brute strength was more useful than intellect? She would only hamper the efforts of the others if she joined in.

It was better this way.

__

You're making excuses.

I'm stating the truth, she countered and surprised herself with the vehemence of her reply. _If I were to try and help them…_Images of power marched through her brain, power without consequence, and the consequences of wielding such a power. She was abruptly furious. _Haven't you meddled enough? Isn't everything we've suffered through enough? I don't want to hurt anyone else!_

Her anger broke, leaving behind a chill numbness that was, in its way, worse than despair. _I don't want to hurt, anymore._

Pain lays not its touch upon a corpse. Do you honestly want to die, Ami?

The appearance of Super Sailor Venus drove the question from Mercury's mind. Flickers of surprise ran across the faces of the Senshi.

Venus looked exhausted: her skin was the color of a corpse and her eyes were dull with fatigue; it was as if whatever method she had used to reach the throne room had drained her of something vital. The front of her fuku was stained red; blood seeped from a wound in her right shoulder, dripping down her arm. She was practically prostrate on her feet. She limped painfully past the Senshi, barely aware of them, and, approaching the dais, shambled to a halt. Her voice, when she spoke, was a faint whisper, yet it sliced through the shrieking air. "Serenity."

Slowly, Neo-Queen Serenity faced her, and Her dropped away. The shriek became a muted growl in Mercury's ears.

Free of the Queen's attention, Pluto collapsed bonelessly into the throne and didn't move.

Serenity's eyes narrowed as She glared down at the Senshi; the air itself paused with expectation. "Venus." She sneered. "Come to beg for your life, worm?"

"Actually, no. I've come to kill you."

The sneer was replaced by anger. "You arrogant little worm. Do you seek to intimidate Me?"

For a moment, Venus stared at the flagstones beneath her and wavered unsteadily. Then, she lifted her head and met the Queen's glare directly. When she smiled, Mercury nearly screamed at the expression on her face, at the death in her eyes. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Howling fury, Serenity hammered a spike of magic at Venus strong enough to shatter mountains.

Still smiling fatally, Venus closed her eyes.

Legal Stuff: 

I don't own any of the Sailor Senshi. Er… the Descendants. Or is it the Avatars..? Whatever. I only own the original characters and the storyline.  
  
This has been a production of Blueberry Enterprises.  
www.geocities.com/sailorfalcon/


	29. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic  
By Kristin Renee Taylor

Chapter 29 - 

__

She should've been dead.

Her injuries were numerous: both legs broken, busted ribs, at least one punctured lung, possible concussion. Almost certainly hemorrhaging like crazy. There were so many fractures, contusions, slashes and who knows what else that it would've taken her days to recover, if she had been in a hospital.

But, she wasn't in a hospital.

So, she should be dead.

She wasn't that, either.

She wasn't really anything, right now, except stuck in limbo. Joy.

Time passed. She kept track of it by the vibrations in the ground. Every so often, a patrol jeep would rumble through the area, keeping vigil against the enemy. They avoided the area where she lay, mostly because they didn't know she was there. It wouldn't have made a difference, anyway. She was in the middle of a minefield. They'd have to be crazy to attempt a rescue through live mines.

In hindsight, she realized it had been crazy to fight in a minefield, but, then, hindsight always did have twenty-twenty vision.

It amused her greatly to die in such an obscure location. For years, people would look at each other and say, "Whatever happened to that Aino chick?" And they would never know. They would never know that the world famous Aino Minako -actress, supermodel, Olympic volleyball player, and teen idol- had secretly been the elusive Sailor V. They would never know that Sailor V had fought countless battles, many of which nobody knew about, and that all of it culminated into her here, lying in the middle of a minefield, dying.

On second thought, that wasn't funny. That sucked.

A soft, rhythmic crunching penetrated her darkening mood. It took her a moment before she realized that she was hearing footsteps. Someone was walking towards her. Stupid,_ she thought,_ don't they know this is a minefield?

__

The footsteps stopped by her head.

For a while, there was silence, broken only by the labored, liquid gurgle that was her breathing. Finally, unable to take it, she forced her one remaining eye to open, and took a look at the person that was bothering her in her last moments. The look of appalled horror on the other woman's face wasn't entirely unexpected, given that her current physical condition was Absolutely Crappy.

She took a slightly deeper breath, and managed to speak. "Ah…You made it… I'm glad." She smiled, or imagined she did. "I was getting tired of waiting."

The other woman dropped to her knees beside her. "Minako!"

"Hey, hey… no worries. Remember, you know how it ends, now."

And then, because there really wasn't anything else for her to do or say, she died.

* * *

Howling in fury, Neo-Queen Serenity hammered a spike of magic at Venus strong enough to shatter mountains. And Super Sailor Venus smiled a fatalistic smile and waited for the blow to fall.

The magic detonated in an explosion of power, shattering the floor and the ceiling and obscuring the sight in a thick cloud of dust.

Serenity smirked and lowered Her hand. _Fool._

"Serenity!" Two twin flashes of light to Her right became Jupiter and Mars. Both Avatars were livid with rage as they advanced on Her. Uranus and Neptune approached from the left, death in their eyes.

She watched them narrowly. "You _dare_ defy _Me_? I am your _Queen_!"

From behind Her, She heard, "No, Serenity. You're not our Queen. You're not even a ghost. You're just a memory, waiting to be forgotten." She turned to see Pluto rising from the throne, and the calm certainty in the Avatar made Serenity want to scream.

She backed away from Pluto, Her mind reeling in disbelief. They were free. How could they be free of Her control? _How?_

"No!" She threw Her will against theirs, tried to force them back into their shells. "This will not happen! You are _My_ Senshi, and you will obey _Me!_"

"You see, Serenity, that's where you're wrong. We don't have to obey you because we're not your Senshi."

__

Impossible. She turned around slowly, unwilling to believe what She was seeing. _Impossible!_

Venus was alive.

Mercury supported her, one arm around Venus' waist. Saturn stood in front of them, the Silence Glaive held perpendicular to the ground.

They had surrounded Her.

Venus said, "Give up, Serenity. Release Terri and the Silver Crystal."

Serenity stared at them. And then She started to laugh. "Give up? _Give up_?" She dropped the Time Staff and gripped the Crystal in both hands. White fire lanced up Her arms as She gathered power. "I will kill you all!"

White fire detonated.

* * *

__

"Hey, hey… no worries. Remember, you know how it ends, now."

And then she died.

She gasped, one hand covering her mouth in surprise and shock. Then she was shaking the body. "Minako! Minako!"

"She's gone, Terri. Let her rest."

She looked up, and her eyes widened. "You're… Tsukino-san!"

Tsukino Usagi shook her head and smiled sadly. "I haven't gone by that name in centuries. These days, people call me Serenity."

"Serenity?" Terri rose to a half-crouch. She was confused. "How- how can you be Serenity?"

The sadness on her face grew more profound. "Because, this is the end."

"The end? The end of what?"

The other woman looked away, unable or unwilling to meet Terri's eyes.

Terri stood. "The end of what?"

* * *

"Sailor Planet-" Eight lights flared in the maelstrom of power, eight minds united in a single goal. 

Serenity felt Her power being constricted. She sneered. Reaching through the Silver Crystal, She drew in more strength, readied Herself to flatten the pitiful creatures before Her and end this farce of a battle.

"Attack!"

Pain ripped up Her spine, exploded in Her head. She staggered and fell to Her knees.

What was happening?

* * *

__

"The end of what?" _Terri shouted._

Usagi - Serenity - looked down at Sailor V. "Three thousand years is a long time to serve, Terri." Finally, she looked up and met Terri's eyes. "It's time for a rest."

* * *

A sharp crack like thunder rent the air. Serenity fell, shrieking in agony. Uncontrolled chaos knocked the Senshi away like rag dolls.

With a loud, hollow boom, the walls and ceiling fractured, split, and started to collapse.

And the Silver Crystal shattered.

* * *

"Kiyomi!"

She blinked, startled out of her thoughts by the insistent, male voice. Carefully, she shifted her weight enough to peer over the edge of the roof. "Yes?"

"Can I borrow your hammer? Incho lost hers somewhere." The young man on the ground craned his neck to look up at her, one hand shielding his eyes from the sunlight. He was tall and lanky, with brown hair and blue eyes. A real cutie, if you were into those innocent-looking types. After a moment, Kiyomi finally managed to recall his name: Thomas Wong. Tommy to his friends. "Uh… sure. Give me a quick second."

She straightened and crept across the unfinished roof to where she had left her toolbox. Pushing a few stray strands of bluish hair out of her eyes, she dug through the various tools.

Tommy said, "Woah! Get a load of that!"

Kiyomi glanced up, then back at the toolbox, finally finding the hammer. Then her head snapped up, and the hammer fell from her hand. "What..?"

A streak of light, pure and unwavering, fell from the sky above her head, running almost directly into the western horizon. It burned intensely, bright as the sun and then, seconds later, the beam dwindled and vanished from sight.

Afterimages of power haunted Kiyomi's vision. A dull roar filled her hear ears. Distantly, she heard Tommy shouting excitedly, heard others echo his excitement back.

But, Kiyomi sat in a private silence so deep she might as well have been struck deaf. She knew. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew.

The Descendants had won.

Her friend was dead.

Kiyomi started to cry.

Legal Stuff: 

I don't own any of the Sailor Senshi. Er… the Descendants. Or is it the Avatars..? Whatever. I only own the original characters.   
  
This has been a production of Blueberry Enterprises.  
www.geocities.com/sailorfalcon/


	30. 

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic  
By Kristin Renee Taylor

Chapter 30 - 

The Silver Crystal shattered.

With the loss of the Crystal, Serenity's control broke. Magic, free from all restraint, spiraled wildly out of control, growing in strength and intensity with each revolution. It swiftly mounted towards epic proportions, became a storm of devastating force as it approached cataclysm. Helpless against such might, the Senshi could only take shelter behind Saturn's Silence Wall, and pray as the palace of the Silver Millennium crashed down around them. And the in the center of that hurricane, Serenity screamed in agony or rage.

Shrieking denials, She was ripped out Terri's body, flung away into the storm of magic, and vanished as if She had never been.

Instantly, the flow of the storm shifted, reversed itself. Power swarmed around Terri, argence pouring into her like water into a vessel. But it was too much: she couldn't control it, let alone contain it. Raw magic tore through her body, and her mind fell away into a place as black as the space between stars.

* * *

A tool.

It was what I was, what I was made to be. From the moment of my conception, I had had no soul, no thoughts or ambitions of my own save those that were given to me. Everything I had ever done was simply the end result of another string attached to me, another idea I had considered my own. I had never really been a person at all.

And now I was useless. Serenity was defeated. The Silver Crystal- my Star Seed- gone. The Senshi had won. I was a tool and I was no longer needed and this was the end.

"Have you no hope? None at all?"

"A tool," I said softly, "has no cause for hope. They are used and then they are discarded. Such is their lot in life."

"You are not a tool, Terri. No one can force you to do anything against your will."

I lifted my head to look at her directly. "You said that before." My eyes narrowed. "You lied."

She gazed at me steadily. Then, deliberately, she turned away. One arm lifted as she pointed into the darkness. "Look."

I looked.

* * *

The sun rose into a perfect, clear blue sky, shedding bright light down into the vale. Ice and snow caught the light, reflected it, and turned the entire valley into a shimmering lake of silver phosphoresce. Out of that sea a finger of darkness rose straight into the sky, gleaming redly in the dawn, the only spot of color for miles around.

Lying at the base of that spire, on her back in the snow, Kino Makoto gazed up at the Tokyo Tower, body too numb to feel the cold. The sight of the sky, the untrammeled beauty of the scene around, the knowledge of Neo-Queen Serenity's defeat… all of it should have filled her with joy. She should have been leaping about, exultant in victory.

Instead, she lay there and stared at the Tower and wondered about the cost of their victory.

The Silver Crystal destroyed. Terri dead. The Moon Kingdom ruined beyond redemption. And that was just the beginning of the extravagant price the Senshi had paid to correct their mistakes.

Sighing tiredly, she hauled herself to her feet.

For a moment, sunlight dazzled her, and she had to blink rapidly to clear her sight as her eyes filled with tears. When she could see again, she saw Minako standing nearby, a reflection of the exhaustion Makoto felt, but her eyes gleamed with a restless energy that she could barely suppress. She shifted beneath Makoto's stare, but didn't look away.

Finally, Makoto said, "What happens now, Minako?"

"Now?" Minako looked puzzled by the question. "Nothing happens now. We don't do anything."

"What the Hell do you mean by that?" The question came from Rei, who was stalking towards them, anger explicit in every line of her frame. She advanced on Minako as if she meant to attack the other woman. "We're just gonna stand around and do nothing?!"

Minako met Rei's anger calmly. "And what, exactly, do you want us to do, Rei-chan?"

Rei's glared blackly at her, then looked away, chewing curses beneath her breath.

Minako looked at Rei, but her words were directed to both of them. "Yes, I suppose there are things that needed to be taken care of. Our people at the D-point for one. Undoing the Serenity's harm in Crystal Tokyo for another. Somebody needs to take responsibility for all those people, but its not going to me.

"I've done my job. Now it's humanity's turn to do something for a change."

Rei glanced sharply at her, but Minako interrupted her impending argument, saying fiercely, "Don't any of you get it? Three thousand years is enough! We won!" She stared intensely at them all, desperate to convey the source of her intensity. "It's over!"

From behind Makoto came a soft thump and the sound of crying. She turned to see Ami on her knees, sobbing into her hands.

Makoto stared at her, and slowly begin to understand. She looked at Rei, met Rei's stunned gaze. "Over," Rei breathed. Her eyes shone with unshed tears.

Makoto's shoulders twitched and started to shake. Suddenly, she threw her head back and shouted, "It's over!" And started to laugh.

They were free.

* * *

"You had all of this planned from the beginning, didn't you?"

"Why do people persist in asking me that question? Nobody ever believes my answer."

"That's because nobody believes you when you say 'no.'"

Setsuna smiled. "If you don't believe me, then why did you ask me the question in the first place?" And she watched irritation flash across Hotaru's reflection.

"God," Hotaru growled, folding her arms, "do you ever give a straight answer to anything?"

"Heaven forbid!" Michiru laughed. She and Haruka stood behind Hotaru and Setsuna, near the elevator. Michiru said, "The day Setsuna directly answers a question is the day that the world ends."

"And that day is obviously not today," Haruka added. She met Setsuna's eyes in the glass and nodded, slightly.

Setsuna smiled again, this time in relief.

Ignorant of the silent exchange, Hotaru pouted and scowled out the window. "Well, at least they're happy." Far below, Setsuna watched the four women hugging in a delirium of delight. She said, "Why shouldn't they be? They've finally fulfilled their vow to our Princess. They can finally live their lives, free of the pressures of obligation and duty. For them, this is not an end. It is a beginning." _And I would give much to be that free,_ she added silently.

For a while they were silent, Michiru and Haruka intent on each other. Setsuna and Hotaru watching the escapades below.

Haruka said suddenly, "We should be leaving."

Hotaru looked back at them in surprise. "Aren't we going to say goodbye?"

"There's no point. They know where to find us."

Hotaru looked like she would argue, but Michiru said, "I, for one, am eager to be home. I could use a hot bath. And a massage."

Glancing at her, Haruka's eyebrow rose.

Hotaru made a gagging noise. "Gross. "

Gazing up at Haruka, Michiru smiled and said, "We really shouldn't blame her for her attitude."

"It's one of the failings of youths these days," Haruka agreed in exactly the same tone. "They just don't believe in love."

"I'm just as old as you are!" Hotaru said, turning towards them. "Older if you count the Silver Millennium!"

Smirking, Michiru hooked Haruka's arm and headed for the elevator.

Hotaru chased after them. "Just because I _look_ like a kid doesn't mean I _am_ one!"

"Some things never change," Setsuna murmured to herself, and heard faint laughter in the back of her mind. Despite the distance, she saw Minako stop suddenly, then turn towards the Tokyo Tower and look up, shielding her eyes from the glare of the dawn. She waved, grinning brightly.

"Then again, some things always change." Smiling to herself, Setsuna transformed into Super Sailor Pluto and returned to the Time Stream.

* * *

I said quietly, "Was that supposed to make me feel better?"

She continued to gaze off into the darkness.

I rose, glaring at the stern lines of her back. "I'm _dead_! Why the hell should I care about the living?"

She met my anger calmly. "You are not dead."

I opened my mouth to tell her how very wrong she was, but she looked at me and her gaze froze the words in my throat. She said coldly, "My counterpart strove to destroy Time. During Her mad attempt, many laws were bent. Several broke, and that destruction allowed impossible things to occur, the least of which were the distortions of time that Minako encountered.

"But, Serenity did not count on one thing. Just as the Senshi were reflections of the Descendants, She was a reflection of me. Her attempt to destroy all that I hold dear was what woke me from my somnolence. The bending of Time allowed me to reach through the centuries and touch the hearts of my friends, waking them to their danger. And it allowed me to pull you here, moments before your certain destruction."

Her expression softened. "And so, you are not dead, Terri Ganabile, although you should be."

I struggled to comprehend what I had been told. "But… if I'm not dead… then what am I?"

"Minako showed you The End, Terri, but, remember: wherever there is an ending, there is also a beginning." Now, finally, she smiled, and watching her was like watching the birth of a star. She spread her arms wide, as if she sought to embrace everything around us. 

"This is the beginning, and it is whatever you wish it to be."

Legal Stuff: 

I don't own any of the Sailor Senshi. Er… the Descendants. Or is it the Avatars..? Whatever. I only own the original characters.   
  
This has been a production of Blueberry Enterprises.  
www.geocities.com/sailorfalcon/


	31. Epilogue

Life's Lessons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic  
By Kristin Renee Taylor

Epilogue -

Minako walked through the snow, her hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket. The air was warm; the faint stirrings of spring wafted on the breeze, stroked her hair and face as intimatly as a lover.

Earth's long winter was finally ending.

The realization made her smile.

Climbing, she finally gained the top of the hill and, from that vantage, looked down at the village spread out through the valley. Several score flat-topped stone huts dotted the valley floor, enduring despite the snow. No people were visible, she could hear no voices at this distance, but from several of the huts tendrils of smoke rose into the sky from fires burning within.

She stared down for a long time, unfeeling of the brisk air. She had spent years looking for this very place and now, finally faced with the end of her journey, she suddenly wasn't sure of herself. Was she doing the right thing?

"I wonder…" she asked the breeze, "Will she even remember me?"

"You will never find out standing here," a soft voice answered.

"That's true." She closed her eyes. "But, I'm not the woman I once was."

"Are any of us?"

Minako opened her eyes, and turned to look at Super Sailor Pluto. "What if she doesn't remember?"

The Time Staff held loosely in her right hand, Pluto regarded the village below. A faint smile tugged at the edges of the eldest Senshi's lips. "Does it really matter, Venus?" Pluto's hair hung undisturbed; the wind that brushed Minako didn't touch the other woman. "We are who we are, and it's too late now to wish we were otherwise."

Minako sighed. "I guess you're right."

The faint smile became a smirk. "I'm always right. I'm Sailor Pluto, remember?"

Minako snorted and started to retort, but the movement below stopped her.

A dog had appeared from one of the houses closest to the hill where Minako stood, and a girl, no older than four, bounded after it, silver hair flying behind her as she chased the mutt. A woman watched them from the entrance to the house, amuesment plain on her face. Even at this distance, Minako could see she was pregnant.

Watching her, Minako smiled. "Princess," she breathed, and realized that Pluto was gone.

Alarm spread across the woman's face and she looked around, stepping out of the doorway and into the open air. Instantly, the wind caught her twin blonde ponytails and set them flying. Then she looked up, and the alarm vanished, replaced by surprise and shock. Her mouth moved soundlessly, but Minako saw her form two distinct syllables.

__

V…chan?

Grinning, Minako ran down the hill towards her princess.

Legal Stuff: 

I don't own any of the Sailor Senshi. Er… the Descendants. Or is it the Avatars..? Whatever. I only own the original characters.   
  
This has been a production of Blueberry Enterprises.  
www.geocities.com/sailorfalcon/


End file.
